Big Data study
Higher dietary levels of EPA & DHA improve feed performance and superior harvest quality
At Veramaris, we had confidence that our Optimum Omega Nutrition (OON) concept would maximize the health and performance of farmed fish. This set of critical feed guidelines are intended to help fish and shrimp farmers and feed suppliers meet EPA & DHA requirements. By harnessing the power of Big Data, we were able to conclusively prove the concept in the real-world.
The power of Big Data and AI
We partnered with Manolin to leverage their expertise in big data collection and analysis, as well as their AI capabilities. The approach was novel. Using a huge swathe of anonymously provided feed and farm data, the study then crunched the numbers to focus clearly on the impact of EPA & DHA. Manolin’s Harpoon platform and its benchmarking capabilities allowed variables to be compared across generations of salmon raised on various levels of EPA & DHA.
The numbers are impressive. The study collected data from a staggering 233 million fish across 291 generations from 99 salmon farms, spanning the years 2013 to 2022 from most aquaculture production areas in Norway. Before the data was analyzed, it was cleaned and isolated to ensure accuracy and relevance.
Study set-up
This study was conducted in the following three phases.
Impact on harvests and feed performance
Analysis of the data showed the clear benefits of EPA & DHA levels above 8% on salmon farming outcomes. For example, we found that when farmers used above average levels of EPA & DHA, their chance of having a superior harvest above 90% increased by 27%. These results also help farmers more easily understand how and why using increased levels of EPA & DHA in feed will give them higher quality than ever before.
The study also demonstrated how higher EPA & DHA levels influenced one of the main cost indicators for farmers — the economical feed conversion rate, or eFCR. Results showed that aquaculture feed with higher levels of EPA & DHA resulted in an 11% improvement in eFCR. This further underscores the positive impact of higher EPA & DHA levels in aquaculture feed on farm performance and profitability.
Study results
Statistically significant improvement observed for feed performance and superior harvest percentage.
Economic Feed Conversion Ration (eFCR)
Superior Harvest Percentage [%]
Mortality Percentage [%]
Far-reaching business benefits
According to a comprehensive study analyzing production results over the past decade, farmers can reap significant advantages by incorporating higher levels of EPA & DHA in their feed. The findings reveal that EPA & DHA levels surpassing 8% demonstrate a statistically significant enhancement in various performance metrics, including harvest quality and eFCR categories. We hope that the outcomes from this study can help feed managers to quantify the return on investment for fortifying salmon feed with Optimum Omega Nutrition.
Find out more
The results of this study were presented at AquaNor Conference in Trondheim, August 2023.
Watch the video to learn more.
