(Westfield, Scotland) 8. October 2020 – Cargill, in collaboration with Gaia BioMaterials UK, is introducing fully compostable fish feed packaging in the North Sea region as part of its Scotland business pioneering work on compostable packaging.
The sustainable feed bags, which will be available as small 25 kilos packaging, are made from food grade materials and unlike alternative sustainable options, the bags break down into the environment completely, leaving no plastic materials or harmful residue behind. The small bags are great addition to Cargill’s existing portfolio which includes large feed bags made of 100% recyclable material.
“Salmon farmers are increasingly looking for ways to reduce the impact on the environment, and one way to do that it to reduce our use of plastic,” said Rosie Dreghorn, Technology Application Manager for Cargill Aqua Nutrition in Scotland. “We invest in pioneering sustainable solutions like compostable packaging because it is the right thing to do for our customers, for our business and for the kind of environment we want to leave for future generations.”
The new compostable bags have been created and trialled at Cargill’s Westfield plant in Scotland and is the result of two years of development. This summer first batch of feed was delivered to a customer. The bags performed well during transportation and on the farm, and feedback so far has been positive.
“We are proud of this achievement however, we acknowledge there is still work to be done. We are at the early stages of this development, but we want to keep developing this project as our vision is to get rid of plastic packaging altogether. Any progress we make here is good for the fish, for the farmers, for the environment and, ultimately, for the consumer,” stated Dreghorn.
Cargill’s compostable packaging initiative was recognised with two nominations at Aquaculture UK Awards Ceremony on September 16th – the Environmental Impact Award and the Innovation Award.

Cargill introduces fully compostable feedbags

Cargill introduces fully compostable feedbags to help reduce its carbon footprint

Joint press release by the Bellona Foundation and the Norwegian Seafood Federation 11. December 2020.
 
The Bellona Foundation, the Norwegian Seafood Federation and seven major players in the fish feed industry have joined forces to improve the climate footprint of Norwegian salmon. The initiative «Råvareløftet» seeks to accelerate the development of new raw materials for fish feed. The aim is to contribute to major cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, while generating employment and furthering the development of the aquaculture industry.
The aquaculture industry plays an important role in Norway's green transition. Feed alone accounts for approximately ¾ of greenhouse gas emissions of Norwegian farmed salmon - when airfreight to distant markets is omitted. The key challenge for the fish feed industry towards 2030 will be to deliver a stable supply of sufficient volumes of nutritionally adequate raw materials, while ensuring greenhouse gas emission reductions and increased sustainability. For this reason the Bellona Foundation, the Norwegian Seafood Federation, Aker Biomarine, BioMar, Calanus, Cargill, Hordafor, Skretting and Mowi now launch the collaboration platform «Råvareløftet».
- We believe that Norwegian production of new raw materials for fish feed may be the start of a new green industrial opportunity. It is therefore very exciting to be able to draw on the collective expertise of the industry in finding new and sustainable solutions, says Joakim Hauge, Manager for The Bellona Bio-programme and project responsible for Råvareløftet. - The feed issue cannot be solved by individual actors alone, but will require coordination between industry, government, science and stakeholders in the fields of environment and sustainability, he adds.
- The Norwegian seafood industry has an important societal mission to produce sustainable and healthy food for a growing world population. We take this seriously and with Råvareløftet we are now taking an important step into an even greener future, says Geir Ove Ystmark, CEO of the Norwegian Seafood Federation. - In Norway, 250,000 new jobs are needed by 2030 if we are to secure the welfare state. We will do our part to ensure that these jobs are created as part of the ongoing sustainability transition in the ocean industries.
- Råvareløftet is a very exciting partnership that may provide climate benefits, business opportunities and job creation. It would be a win-win situation for Norway if we could replace the large volumes of imported soy with alternative feed raw materials based on Norwegian resources. This spring, as part of economic coronavirus measures, we allocated an additional 20 million NOK to research into the development of fish feed based on Norwegian raw material sources. However, we are also dependent the private sectors’ willingness to invest. I am therefore very pleased with the initiative industry and The Bellona Foundation are showcasing with Råvareløftet, comments Minister of Fisheries and Seafood Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen.
All partners will contribute expertise, data and resources to Råvareløftet. The Bellona Foundation will assist industry in identifying new solutions and opportunities, and ensure that private sector, politics and the policy landscape are in alignment. In its strategic vision, "Sustainable Aquaculture 2030", the Bellona Foundation has pointed out the importance of establishing broad coalitions in order to develop new and more sustainable raw materials for fish feed.
- We are pleased with the commitment, ambitions and knowledge the Norwegian Seafood Federation and key players in the feed industry are bringing to the table. Together, we will lay the foundations for the development of novel raw materials, lowering emissions and reducing environmental impact. With Råvareløftet we invite government and state bodies, R&amp;D environments, industry and other societal actors to participate in an initiative that aims to create jobs and economic value, as well as cut greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the Paris Agreement, says Hauge of the Bellona Foundation.
- With Råvareløftet we show the resolve with which the Norwegian seafood industry contributes to achieving the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. We are a future-oriented industry that works to ensure that Norway retains its position as the world’s leading and most sustainable ocean nation, emphasizes Ystmark of the Norwegian Seafood Federation.
 About Råvareløftet The purpose of Råvareløftet is to accelerate the phasing in of new and sustainable raw materials for fish feed in order to enable increased production of seafood while reducing the overall climate and environmental footprint of the aquaculture industry. Råvareløftet will focus on sustainable raw materials with commercial potential, while ensuring their nutritional suitability for fish welfare and growth. Candidates for the feed sources of the future are many and include everything from algae, krill, copepods and insects to yeasts and bacteria as well as animal and vegetable by-products.
Contact info: Joakim Hauge, Manager, Bellona's Bio-programmes and project responsible for Råvareløftet: 408 56 190 | joakim@bellona.no Henrik Stenwig, Director of Environment and Health, the Norwegian Seafood Federation: 918 20 072 | hst@sjomatnorge.no (Professional inquiries) Geir Ove Ystmark, CEO of the Norwegian Seafood Federation: 481 27 155 |goy@sjomatnorge.no
 About the Bellona Foundation The Bellona Foundation is an independent non-profit foundation that works to solve the world's climate challenges, among other things by identifying and implementing sustainable climate solutions. The foundations mandate is to work towards improved ecological understanding and the protection of nature, environment and health, and it shall act to promote this purpose. Bellona collaborates with businesses, academia and other public and private institutions on initiatives that promote the public good and significant, positive impacts on climate and the environment. The Bellona Environmental Foundation was established in 1986, and today has 61 employees and offices in Oslo, Brussels, Murmansk, St. Petersburg and London.
About the Norwegian Seafood Federation The Norwegian Seafood Federation represents the interests of approximately 680 member companies with more than 14 800 employees. Our member companies cover the entire value chain from fjord to dinner table in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors in Norway.
The Norwegian Seafood Federation is affiliated with the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO). NHO is the main representative body for Norwegian employers with a current membership of over 28.000 companies ranging from small family-owned businesses to multinational companies.

Novel feed sources to reduce climate emissions

Novel feed sources to reduce climate emissions of Norwegian salmon farming

Cargill has set a course to protect oceans, a vital ecosystem where the company helps to grow and move food around the world. Cargill’s latest initiative, <a href="https://www.cargill.com/sustainability/supply-chains/seafurther-sustainability-aquaculture">SeaFurther™ Sustainability</a>, will help aqua farmers raise more sustainable seafood with less environmental impact. It is part of the company’s overall carbon commitment, with a science-based scope 3 target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent per tonne of food by 2030. SeaFurther alone will help save two billion kilograms of CO2 by 2030, which is the equivalent of removing more than 400,000 cars from the road.
“With SeaFurther Sustainability we are charting a new bold course, one that makes aquaculture better for our planet,” said Pilar Cruz, president and group leader for Cargill Aqua Nutrition. “Seafood consumption is rising globally. We want to meet that demand; increasing production while decreasing environmental impact. By working closely with farmers to source sustainable ingredients, improve farm productivity and ensure fish welfare, Cargill is redefining aquaculture’s role in helping the world thrive.”
Reducing the climate impact of aqua farming and feed Cargill’s SeaFurther program will start with salmon farmers, who are focused on the role they play in ocean stewardship and addressing the sustainability of food systems, especially with relation to climate change.
“We are excited to see a clear commitment from Cargill that is focused on the needs to reduce the environmental footprint of salmon,”said Stian Amble, Biology and Quality Advisor, Nova Sea.  “Delivering more sustainable aquaculture will require the value chain to align on key goals and work together to deliver on them. By agreeing on the value of the changes that are required, we can deliver true transformation to become more sustainable more quickly and at greater scale.”
Through SeaFurther Sustainability, Cargill is setting the goal to reduce the footprint of farmed salmon 30% by 2030.  Today, feed represents up to 90% of a salmon’s environmental footprint. To reduce this climate impact and enable salmon farmers to provide consumers with sustainably raised seafood options, SeaFurther is focused on:
<ul>
<li>Sourcing — Cargill’s feed is designed to minimize the environmental footprint of aquaculture. We work closely with our suppliers to grow responsibly-sourced ingredients and supply chains while finding ways to reuse by-products, like fish trimmings that would normally be discarded, whenever we can. Together, we strive to identify and source novel ingredients that create even more sustainable feed, helping our customers and partners achieve our shared sustainability goals – and meet global consumer demand. </li>
<li>Maximizing — Cargill knows aqua sustainability happens at the farmer level. Utilizing its extensive aquaculture feed experience, Cargill helps farmers do more with less to increase efficiency and maximize production while decreasing their impact on the planet. </li>
<li>Caring — Consumers want to know how their protein was raised and animal welfare must be at the center of any sustainability program. SeaFurther intends to safeguard farmed fish through nutrition solutions that protect and promote animal health, reducing the use of resources and the impact on the ocean at large.</li>
</ul>
While the company is starting with salmon, SeaFurther will expand, with an intent to add other species, like shrimp in the near future. This initiative builds on Cargill’s extensive supply chain efforts which center around the belief that agriculture is how we’ll feed a growing population while protecting our earth’s resources.
Protecting Our Oceans, from feed to transportation SeaFurther joins a fleet of Cargill’s strategic partnerships, investments, research and technologies aimed at protecting oceans. Cargill is leading the way in reducing the environmental impact of global bulk shipping in line with the International Maritime Organization’s target to reduce decarbonize shipping by at least 50 percent by 2050
“The health of the world’s salmon is ultimately linked to the health of our oceans,” said Jan Dieleman, president of Cargill’s Ocean Transportation business. “Large-scale carbon reduction requires commitment across the global supply chain and we’re working with partners to develop solutions to reduce our impact on the environment. As one of the world’s largest vessel charterers, Cargill continues its push to reduce emissions and raise industry standards.”
Since the end of 2019, Cargill has installed around $3 million USD worth of energy saving equipment onboard some of our long-term time charter vessels. Cargill is also a strategic partner of ZeroNorth, a tech start-up that provides digital tools that improve vessel performance and reduce fuel consumption. In 2020, Cargill partnered with BAR Technologies to bring their WindWings - large, solid wing sails that measure up to 45 meters in height - to the deck of bulk cargo ships to harness the power of the wind and reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 30 percent.
“Cargill has an opportunity to drive real, positive climate impact for people and the planet,” said Cruz. “With our global footprint and view across supply chains, sustainable oceans and sustainable seafood can become a reality if we are all in, partnering with farmers, working across the industry and pulling in the same direction.”

Seafurther

SeaFurther: will reduce carbon footprint in aquaculture

– We will construct an energy efficient, electric dryer in our factory at Bergneset. As far as I know, we’re the first in the world to remove all CO2 emissions from fish feed production. This is all in line with Cargill’s environmental protection measures and a large step into the green future for both the factory and Balsfjord. We are very pleased that Cargill wants to concentrate efforts on developing the factory, and it gives us the opportunity to put Balsfjord firmly on the environmental map, says Plant Manager Jan-Vidar Olsen.
 
Cuts 3000 tonnes CO2 Until now, the feed dryer at Bergneset has run on LPG. By switching from fossil fuel to electric power the factory cuts CO2 emissions by 3000 tonnes, reducing energy consumption by more than 20 %. Enova provides funding for the project as the technology for heat integration through high temperature heat pumps is new and innovative and will potentially establish new best practice for energy efficient drying of salmon feed.
– This investment does not yield increased capacity. The drivers are energy optimalization and sustainability. And we obtain more knowledge and get experience with electrification and heat pumps that will be put to good use in other Cargill factories. We also hope to motivate other technology suppliers to develop energy efficient technology within feed production and to contribute to meeting the national goal of reducing CO2 emissions, says Olsen.
 
Creates pride Towards the summer, work will be carried out to build premises where the heat pump and support systems will be installed. The heat pumps and auxiliary equipment will be placed in a new 1000 cubic metre building, delivered by Element Nor at Storsteinnes. The delivery includes a new ground floor warehouse and heat pumps at the first floor.
The equipment installation is planned for October/November, with operations starting in the new year 2022. Olsen says the factory staff appreciate greatly that Cargill spends time and resources on innovative and sustainable projects. 
– Us taking part in innovative projects creates competence development at the factory. Which in its turn creates pride among us who work here, he says. 
 
Attractive workplace The knowledge and experience these projects yield, is also valuable to the collaboration between the Bergneset factory and local educational institutions.
– We already have close contact with upper secondary schools and will undoubtedly be able to contribute with our competence to the county’s training programmes. The county already make use of us in other connections, and as a spearhead within the industry, we can actively contribute with future training of technical personnel and within process engineering. We wish to be an attractive workplace and we notice that we’re attracting capable labour because we are in front within energy and technology development.   
 
Electric truck park The new, electric dryer machine is one of many environmental protection measures the factory at Bergneset is working on to meet the zero emissions goal. The truck park is also in the process of becoming electric.
– We have started replacing the trucks, and to begin with, we have acquired four electric trucks to gain experience. We need to test them for a while before we move on, but our goal is that the entire truck park will eventually be electric, says Nilsen. 
 
Facts: 
<ul>
<li>The new dryer is delivered by Geelen Counterflow in the Netherlands, a leading manufacturer of eco-friendly solutions. </li>
<li>The dryer will utilize new and innovative technology for heat integration through hight temperature heat pumps that generate a considerably more energy efficient process. </li>
<li>It is the first time this technology is put to use in the feed industry. </li>
<li>Cargill has also had technology delivered from Danish Process Innovation and Norsk Energi. </li>
<li>Enova supports the project with NOK 33 million. </li>
<li>The energy net result is estimated to a 15 000 000 kWh annual saving. </li>
<li>The climate net result is estimated at a 3 030 000 kg CO2-ekv/year. </li>
<li>The factory at Bergneset is a cornerstone company in Balsfjord municipality that mainly employs local labour from Balsfjord and neighbouring municipalities. The factory has 54 permanent employees and more than 70 workers during the high season. </li>
</ul>

Cargill puts Balsfjord on the environmental map

– We have a large responsibility when it comes to reducing the energy consumption in the industry, and this is a golden opportunity to do so. We are highly invested in this project and it creates great interest and a ripple effect within Cargill, says Monica Hagen, Business Operations Lead, Cargill Aqua Nutrition North Sea.
The factory at Bergneset is the first in the industry to put this zero-emission technology to use to recuse the CO2 footprint. The investment is part of Cargill’s strategic improvement effort and in line with Enova’s goal of promoting innovation of energy and green technology that can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Enova has supported the project with NOK 33 million.
– The funding from Enova makes up 40 % of the total costs and are essential to financing it. The rest we contribute ourselves, says Hagen. 
Since 2019, Cargill has invested nearly NOK 200 million in initiatives for energy efficiency improvement and sustainability in the feed factories, and the Bergneset project is the third step in this investment line. 
 
Saves energy – cuts CO2 By switching from fossil fuel to electric power the factory cuts CO2 emissions by 3000 tonnes yearly. Simultaneously, the factory’s energy consumption is reduced by more than 20 %. 
– When we replace gas with electricity and combines this with heat pumps, we use 3,5 times less energy. Merging heat pumps and electrification is ground-breaking and we are the only ones doing it in this type of industry. Feed drying is our most energy consuming process, so carrying out this project means a lot. We are to save 15000 kWh and 3000 tonnes CO2 a year, tells project manager Jan Helge Førde, who has been in charge of the project for two years.
 
Creates pride The dryer, the world’s largest of its sort, is delivered by Geelen Counterflow in the Netherlands, a family business that develops eco-friendly drying and cooling installations. Cargill has also received support from Norsk Energi and Process Innovation in Denmark.
– This project is driven by energy optimalization and sustainability. The investment does not yield increased capacity, but reduced energy consumption and a cleaner production as we cut all CO2 emissions. Saving CO2 taxes on top of this is a nice bonus, and not least there are many employees who appreciate us spending time and resources on sustainable projects. This creates pride within the company, Førde says.  
Highly relevant technology Monica Hagen says this technology will be highly relevant when similar investment needs occur at other feed factories, and also promotes motivation for new thinking in other processes.  
– This is the largest innovation project we have ever carried through. We are lucky to have an owner willing to invest and who wants to develop our factories in the right direction. Cargill is good at drawing synergies from factories across the national borders. If this succeeds in Norway, we may see similar technology introduced to factories worldwide. We are proud to contribute to sustainability in the north, and it’s a great joy to us if we can create ripple effects through this project. 
 
Facts: 
<ul>
<li>The new dryer is delivered by Geelen Counterflow in the Netherlands, a leading manufacturer of eco-friendly solutions. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The dryer will utilize new and innovative technology for heat integration through hight temperature heat pumps that generate a considerably more energy efficient process. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>It is the first time this technology is put to use in the feed industry. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Cargill has also had technology delivered from Danish Process Innovation and Norsk Energi. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Enova supports the project with NOK 33 million. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The energy net result is estimated to a 15 000 000 kWh annual saving. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The climate net result is estimated at a 3 030 000 kg CO2-ekv/year. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The factory at Bergneset is a cornerstone company in Balsfjord municipality that mainly employs local labour from Balsfjord and neighbouring municipalities. The factory has 54 permanent employees and more than 70 workers during the high season. </li>
</ul>

Cargill cuts all CO2 emissions in the north

The field trials are part of a large research and development (R&amp;D) project by Hofseth Aqua and Cargill that has received four R&amp;D permits to test full-scale nutritional strategies to make rainbow trout more robust.
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“Our farm technicians have a long list of observations they need to register. On both shifts, they observe clear differences in the fish in the cages where the trout fed on a different feed than in the other cages. The fish has less wear-and-tear damage, is more robust, eats more evenly, and recovers faster after lice treatment. We can see this with the naked eye. It is exciting in itself, and we are very excited to see the full picture when the experiments are over and we get documented results,” said site manager Olai Roger Nakken in Hofset Aqua.
About 95 percent of Norwegian fish farmers produce salmon. Therefore, a lot more research is conducted on salmon than on trout, and in that sense this project is groundbreaking. It is very important to get data on nutrition that can help make the fish more robust to better tackle today’s production system.
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Blinded trial The field trial is structured as a blinded test where two feed variants are tested against each other, and the breeders at Hofseth do not know which feed is in which cages. The feed is only identified by letter codes.
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“If we had said that we expected better fish welfare by using a specific feed, those involved in the trial would more likely look for signs that confirm such results. The expectations can affect the results, especially since a large part of the database in these trials is to score on various welfare parameters,” explained Sara Straumsnes, the trial coordinator and Scientist Trial Application for from Cargill Innovation Center in Dirdal.
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Proper nutrition used to better fish welfare The R&amp;D project aims to carry out solid research in the field that can contribute to better fish welfare under different production conditions, and especially in stressful situations such as delousing treatments.
“The main focus in this project is not on increased growth, but increased welfare and health. When the fish undergoes delousing treatments, it becomes stressed and has a different nutritional need than in a normal situation. With proper nutrition, the fish thrives better and grow better. Uncovering the trout's nutritional needs under current production conditions is important to improve the welfare,” said Straumsnes.
See the benefits Conducting good research in the field is both important and demanding because this is where the fish face real many challenges and disturbances. It is often difficult to draw clear conclusions, and one ends up only registering a trend.
“Hofseth Aqua is a production company but has a very positive mindset about researching while production is ongoing, even though it is labor-intensive. Those who work out on the pens twenty-four-seven, see the value and the importance of improving welfare,” said Straumsnes.
To experiment in such a good way that the results can be observed in the cages without having to wait for the final data is a major motivating factor.
“Such experiments also help us become more observant of the fish. We see the big picture better. The project creates awareness as well as good dialogue both before and after the trials. We become better growers by doing this, and therefore I think we will continue with frequent welfare scores even after the project is completed,” concluded Nakken.

Fish welfare research project sees improvements in the cage with the naked eye

SalmoNIR is a small, waterproof and very robust handheld scanner developed for sampling and the analysis of fat content, EPA + DHA and fillet colour of live salmon. The scanner gives immediate answers concerning fish condition in the net-pens and can as such provide a basis for decisions of great importance to fish health and economy.
Cargill has spent two years on further developing and testing the equipment while scanning thousands of fish to validate the results. 
<img style="width: 270px; height: 296px; float: left;" src="https://ewoscmsmedia.cglcloud.in/media/3919/joshua_liddell-1a.jpg?width=270&amp;height=296&amp;mode=max" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b164db06efb2455cb267310e044ccec0" />– The conclusion is that SalmoNIR’s analysis accuracy is on comparable with chemical analysis. We are very confident in those numbers, says Account and Feeding Technology Manager Joshua Liddell at Cargill Aqua Nutrition Scotland.
Instant information A downside of chemical analysis is that you have to kill the fish to obtain the flesh samples required for analysis. It is also very costly and time consuming because you have to send the samples to an external lab and wait for two or three weeks to get the results back. With SalmoNIR you avoid this.
– The scanning takes a few seconds, and the data is available for the customer the instant the scanning is complete. At which point the fish can be released, alive, back into the water column. The probe has no external cables, and it is connected via Wi-Fi. Flesh quality data is transferred directly to the application, where the information can be analyzed and combined with other customer performance data. For the customer, having instant access to this information is extremely valuable, says Liddell.
Lowers the threshold Famers assess the flesh quality of their fish at various stages within the life cycle, predominantly this takes place at 2.5kg, 3.5kg and 4.5kg. If the flesh quality results are lower than predicted, the nutritional composition of the salmon feed can be changed to ensure the fish achieve the pre-determined targets. 
Sampling fish for flesh quality analysis is time consuming, and costly to the farmer. In addition, the number of fish, weight of the fish and location of the pens in which the fish are sampled from is vital to ensure the results returned are of value. The staff on site must allocate between 1 – 4 hours to carry out this operation, and the waiting time for the results is long. If sampling takes place late in the life cycle, a 3 week wait for the results could be the difference between the farmer achieving their flesh quality targets and having satisfied customers or not. On the other hand, SalmoNIR provides instant, robust results, which allows rapid nutritional changes to be made to the salmon feed.  
-  In an ideal world, we would sample between 30 – 50 fish per population to gain the best overview of flesh quality. However, sampling this number of fish is not viable in a commercial setting, as the number of fish being sacrificed and the time in which it takes to process these individuals would be too great, not to mention the economic loss to the farmer, says Liddell. 
With SalmoNIR you can select and test 50 – 100 fish, within one to two hours, and then release them back into the population alive and well. Having ‘real’ data on so many fish within a given population, almost instantaneously, is hugely advantageous for our customers, allowing them to make informed, proactive choices for their business, says Liddell.
Rolls out the technology The flesh quality results from SalmoNIR are stored in a cloud solution and correlate with other key data about fish from the same population. Consequently, it is simple to monitor the fish’s health, how it grows, its environment and its quality. Cargill has carried out extensive tests with a client who scanned 6–700 fish during a single day with very good results. This serves as a sound basis for decision making concerning the necessity to act to optimize feeding or take other measures.
– We have had discussions with some of our Scottish based customers and there is a lot of excitement surrounding SalmoNIR. We plan to launch SalmoNIR into the Scottish market early in 2021, initially with one customer, in which we will train and support them through their initial introduction to this new, exciting technology. 
Knowledge provider Support and pricing of SalmoNIR is independent of whether the customer buys feed from Cargill or not.
– We’re not just a feed supplier, we invest heavily into innovation and are very proud to continuously bring groundbreaking information and technology to our customers. We are very confident with SalmoNIR and believe it will bring huge value to our customers and the aquaculture industry, says Liddell.

SalmoNIR is a means for cost effective solutions

Under the agreement, Cargill will supply 100% of Salmon Evolution’s feed volumes to the Indre Harøy site currently under construction with production planned to start in March 2022.
Through the partnership, Cargill will use its research and development expertise to develop sustainable feed solutions tailored to Salmon Evolution’s customers and goals, including high biological performance and premium product quality.
Fredrik Witte, director of Cargills aquaculture business in the North Sea region, comments:
“Cargill works with salmon farmers around the world, providing feed that supports fish welfare and improves farmer productivity and earnings potential, while reducing the environmental impact of aquaculture. One of the key areas to realizing the massive potential in land-based salmon farming is having optimal feed tailored to the salmon’s specific living environment – and we’re committed to working with Salmon Evolution to help them realize this potential.”
Håkon André Berg, CEO of Salmon Evolution, comments:
“Having the best possible feed is essential for every salmon farmer. Particularly, in our HFS system where we create optimal and stable living conditions for the salmon, we see a strong and untapped potential in tailoring a feed focused on maximizing biological performance and product quality. Given Cargill’s solid reputation and track record as a supplier of high-performance feed solutions, combined with their substantial R&amp;D capabilities and capacities both in Norway and abroad, we are confident that we have found an ideal partner.”
In connection with the agreement, Cargill is investing USD 5 million in Salmon Evolution, structured as a private placement. The investment will be used for general corporate purposes including evaluation and development of future expansion opportunities, further underpinning Salmon Evolution’s strategy of taking a lead role in the global land-based salmon farming industry.
Read the complete release on Oslo Stock exchange <a href="https://newsweb.oslobors.no/message/544210">here</a> , and on Salmon Evolution website <a href="https://salmonevolution.no/salmon-evolution-and-cargill-enter-strategic-partnership-for-feed-cargill-invests-usd-5-million-in-salmon-evolution-through-a-private-placement/">here</a>

Salmon Evolution and Cargill enter strategic partnership

We are glad that our customers, not only in Norway and Scotland but in more of the salmon producing countries where we operate, now have access to our RAS feed products adapted to the complexity of RAS systems as well as the fish's nutritional and welfare needs. With EWOS CLEAR we help our customers become more successful by ensuring continuous stable operations of their land-based production systems in a safe, responsible and sustainable manner.

EWOS CLEAR for RAS now available in Chile

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to Customers and Partners

Photo above: Researcher Marta Bou Mira, Nofima, in lab. Photo by Jon-Are Berg-Jacobsen/Nofima.
 
The funding will support a project where fish are fed diets that contain different amounts of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA.
Previous research on salmon has shown that higher levels of marine omega-3 fatty acids can be beneficial when salmon are sick or stressed, but not as much is known about trout. These fatty acids are in turn substances that the human body needs. They can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and contribute to good brain function and development and visual functions.
Close cooperation
<a rel="noopener" href="https://www.ewos.com/uk/news/fish-welfare-research-project-sees-improvements-in-the-cage-with-the-naked-eye" target="_blank">Hofseth and Cargill already have a well-established collaboration</a> to test various nutritional strategies in full scale that will make trout more robust.
<img style="width: 243px; height: 170px; float: left;" src="https://ewoscmsmedia.cglcloud.in/media/4386/terje_utne-01-800px.jpg?width=243&amp;height=170&amp;mode=max" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/d3eded35f5bf43a0bc10c341a917eb3d" />
“What we are going to do now is a spin-off project where we go deeper into the knowledge. We want to better understand the mechanisms of action. What happens in the cells and genes of the fish when we increase the proportion of EPA and DHA,” says Terje Utne who is responsible for field trials in Cargill Aqua Nutrition North Sea.
As only five percent of Norwegian aquaculture is trout farming, most of the research is done on salmon. This project is therefore groundbreaking, and it is also unique because it takes place in the field where two different diets are tested simultaneously in many cages.
Trout and salmon
Hofseth Aqua provides no less than 16 cages for this trial at three locations in Storfjorden where trout are produced in a large scale.
The company, which is located mid-Norway, has a very positive attitude towards research during ongoing commercial production, even though it is labor-intensive. The employees see the benefit of how important it is to improve fish welfare.
The support from the Research Council also makes it possible to carry out a lab trial to investigate the differences between salmon and trout that receive different amounts of EPA and DHA.
“This has not been done before either. It will be interesting to compare the results from two different species,” says Utne.
He emphasizes that EPA and DHA are costly and limited resources, but at the same time very important for both the fish and us humans. Better knowledge gives us the opportunity to utilize EPA and DHA in a better and more sustainable way.
Researching the omega-3 mechanisms
In this trial, Nofima will have access to sample materials from the field in a unique extent, and they will run their own trials on trout and salmon in tanks at their research station.
Researchers at Nofima have recently found that rainbow trout have a greater capacity to store EPA and DHA in the body than salmon.
“This indicates that salmon and trout may have different requirements and capacity to convert and utilize sources of marine omega-3 fatty acids. We are very interested in investigating the mechanisms behind these differences. Then we can better understand the needs for marine omega-3 fatty acids in trout and develop strategies to make the best possible use of resources,” says Marta Bou Mira, researcher at Nofima.
The project will be completed in early 2023, and the results will be reported in the fourth quarter of 2024.
 <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.kyst.no/article/seks-millioner-i-stoette-til-omega-3-forskning-paa-oerret/" target="_blank">Du finner denne artikkelen også på Kyst.no</a>
 
<img style="width: 882px; height: 603px;" src="https://ewoscmsmedia.cglcloud.in/media/4387/nofima_marta_bou_laks_2020_1500px.jpg?width=882&amp;height=603&amp;mode=max" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/af4ed6ff96794b259c8f25f2d242272b" />
 Researcher Marta Bou Mira at Nofima, in picture holding salmon filet. Photo: Joe Urrutia/Nofima

Unique omega-3 research on trout

Find news and updates from EWOS. World leading supplier of sustainabile fish feed to the aquaculture industry.

News - latest news from EWOS

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Cargill ensures the best solutions for the salmon industry by keeping the fish in focus. Our nutritional knowledge and fast learning make us able to meet the salmon’s needs, through variable farming conditions, changing environment and health challenges.
Sustaining the salmon’s nutritional demands ensures good fish welfare and high production performance at the same time.
Our raw material and purchasing capabilities make it possible to sustain these variable demands sustainably, without compromising fish welfare or production performance.
By proudly and consistently putting the Fish First, we provide better results. For the fish. For the farmers. For the environment and, ultimately, for the consumer.

This includes determining which raw materials are usable and checking availability, and not least what it’s possible for the production department to handle. The formulators work closely with the product developers and are in close contact with the factories and the operational side. 
"What’s special about fish feed, as opposed to animal husbandry, is that it’s sent down in the sea. The pellet must meet the nutritional requirements of the fish and it must be strong enough to not dissolve before the fish eats it in the water".
 
Why do you put the fish first in the work you do? "It’s the core of our industry. Healthy fish is what we make a living from. Fish is excellent food, and fish farming is eco-friendly and efficient food production. Ensuring that the fish thrive and are doing well is crucial for the industry to remain eco-friendly and provide healthy and tasty food.
There is also an ethical aspect to this; we cannot allow that our “livestock”, the fish, are not doing well. We must then ensure the fish are thriving, through good fish health and welfare. 
Every business needs to make money, and long-term thinking pays off. Fish health is an investment in future profitability and growth to build the industry further". 
… and how do you do it, specifically? "In my role as a formulator I have to make sure we use the right kind of raw materials to meet our strict quality requirements in the feed production, and we must use the right amount of raw materials in the different products. This also means we must possess extensive knowledge of the nutritional value in all raw materials that are used.
In unforeseen situations and deviation from plan particularly, for instance when there’s a temporary lack of raw materials, we must keep fish health and welfare in mind when we make assessments to solve the problems. 
What’s allowed and not allowed are stated in the regulations for fish feed. We never compromise in that respect".
 
What would happen if you did not prioritize fish health and fish welfare in your work? "We would risk the fish not receiving the nutrients it needs, which may result in deteriorating fish welfare and health and lower quality of fish as food for us humans. 
There’s strong competition in the industry and we need to find the most cost-effective solution for our products. But if there’s the slightest doubt whether it’s safe when it comes to fish health, we immediately step on the brake. We do not enter grey zones. If there is any insecurity, we drop it. I have never experienced any pressure from any part of the organization if we put our foot down due to fish welfare concerns. It’s not overruled by financial concerns. Food safety and fish welfare are of greater importance".   
 
What are the benefits of prioritising fish health and welfare, and for whom? "The main benefit is that the fish are thriving, that is our ethical responsibility. Good fish health and welfare are also profitable for us as feed producers and the customers buying the feed, as it makes consumers confident the fish is tasty and healthy food produced in an ethically sound way. We build trust with the consumers. The industry will then continue to grow and ensure a robust and profitable business". 
 
Why should Fish First be an important focus area for the whole of Cargill? "Good fish welfare and health is the foundation of our industry. If we don’t meet these requirements, our industry has no future".

Food safety and fish welfare trump everything

"We create models for how stress impacts the fish and compose nutrition to make it more robust and resistant to strain and disease, and for it to recover as quickly as possible. I truly feel our job contributes to improving fish health and making the fish better prepared for coping with production methods."
Why do you put the Fish First in the work you do? "The fish is my employer. You may put every kind of fantastic ingredient in the feed, but if the fish are still not thriving, it doesn’t help. My job is to make sure it receives the right nutrition formulation for it to perform to its maximum and become robust. Not simply to avoid diseases, but also to build strength to be able to recover. Simply for the fish to eat, and that it starts eating sooner after it’s been sick, is the core of welfare."
... and how do you do it, specifically? "As a researcher, I’m concerned with understanding the production situation. The pace of development is so rapid, people still walk the corridors here who were part of starting this in the 1980s. It’s a young industry with an amazing flexibility and will to test new things to move forward.
Incredibly exciting things are happening out there. My task is to see whether the fish require different nutrition components under different production methods, and whether the nutritional need is different when we alter its environment. I develop models and methods for us to be able to measure the impact of suboptimal conditions on the fish. We then develop knowledge concerning what to add to the feed to help the fish during smoltification or prepare large smolt who will move from 13 degrees and artificial lighting to sea transfer in spring."
What would happen if you did not prioritize fish health and fish welfare in your work? "To us, it’s perfectly natural to prioritize fish health. It’s the core of everything we do. Fish with good welfare eat more and absorb and use the energy. It then becomes more robust and flexible for coping with strain, which increases survival. 
From research experiments we have conducted, we observe that fish that is given optimal feed handles non-medicinal lice treatment better, recovers quicker and grows substantially better than other fish. This says something about the salmon’s potential. Salmon is a fantastic source for proteins as well as profitability, and with optimal fish health and welfare you can utilize this to its maximum. Every year an average of ten percent of the salmon in the sea die. If we, with our research, can contribute to increase survival with a couple of percent, it’s a matter of great values. Turning as much fish as possible into food increases the industry’s sustainability."
What are the benefits of prioritizing fish health and fish welfare, and for whom? "What’s good for the fish is good for the farmer. Good fish welfare is also sustainable. If you feed and take care of a fish that dies a month before harvest anyway, you waste a lot of energy. The more being produced for food, the better."
Why should Fish First be an important focus area for the whole of Cargill? "I think this industry is incredible, and I’m lucky to be part of it. There’s innovation and driving force and a search for new, sustainable protein sources and production methods. We can’t sit back as feed suppliers. We must take part and find out how to improve the feed, which is a vital part of fish welfare.
I have worked a lot with fish welfare during the last few years, and to me it’s more important than anything else. Good fish welfare means increased production, a more robust fish, less disease and better survival, which is positive concerning sustainability. Good fish welfare makes all the other pieces fall into place. I’m sincerely glad that Cargill emphasizes this aspect."

With the fish as your employer

In addition to follow-up of the localities with focus on production and welfare, Jo also works with digital development.  
 Why do you put the fish first in the work you do? "Because it is the right thing to do. The fish plays the main role in our everyday working life."
… and how do you do it, specifically? "We always put the fish first when making recommendations and decisions together with our customers. The well-being of the fish is our top priority."
What would happen if you did not prioritize fish health and fish welfare in your work? "Firstly, it would not be very sustainable. Good fish health and welfare is profitable and “alpha and omega” of the aquaculture industry if it is to continue for generations to come. Focus on results that yield good welfare will create positive ripple effects beyond revenue, reputation and especially positioning."
What are the benefits of prioritising fish health and welfare, and for whom? "The fish thriving is the indisputable benefit. Good welfare means it has better health, copes in its environment and is given the opportunity for natural behaviour. A fish experiencing good welfare will perform better. It’s a win for all – from producer to consumer."
Why should Fish First be an important focus area for the whole of Cargill? "Because it is the right thing to do. And by ensuring that the fish is top priority in our decisions and approaches, we ensure that we do what is right for us, the producers and the consumers all the way – by focusing on the end product."

Good welfare creates positive ripple effects

Lindsay works on finding solutions that help Cargills customers reduce the environmental footprint of fish farming.
Why do you put the fish first in the work you do? "Everyone in the value chain benefits from the good fish health and welfare. One of the biggest levers is improving farming efficiency by reducing feed conversion ratios and improving survival; producing more from less."
What would happen if you did not prioritize fish health and fish welfare in your work? "Putting fish health and welfare first recognises their importance in reducing the environmental impact of salmon farming through efficiency. Without focussing our efforts on meeting those fundamentals, the potential of the fish won’t be achieved and farming systems can become less efficient." 
What are the benefits of prioritizing fish health and fish welfare? "Prioritizing fish health and welfare is essential to ensure that the fish we feed not only survive, but thrive, even throughout the physiological and environmental challenges they could encounter during the production cycle.
By supporting all of the fishes’ nutritional needs they will convert feed very efficiently, underlining their position as one of the lowest carbon footprint protein sources enjoyed by millions of consumers each year."
Why should Fish First be an important focus area for Cargill? "We all want to do our best for the fish we feed. Not only do we have a moral and ethical responsibility to prioritise fish health and welfare, it also makes good business sense. It is important we play our part to ensure that responsibly reared, nutritious and delicious salmon and trout continues to deserve its place on the plates of millions of consumers both now, and in future generations. That can be achieved through welfare conscious, sustainable fish production, supported with the best knowledge-based nutrition."

The fish should thrive, not just survive

Why do you put the fish first in the work you do? "To me, that goes without saying. That’s what our work is all about, and it’s what we do every day. Good fish welfare is absolutely fundamental for sound production, sustainability and profitability. It’s not possible to run things efficiently with inadequate welfare, and you save nothing on taking shortcuts. If we don’t put the fish first in our work, we might as well close the shop and go home."
 Awareness of fish health and welfare has increased considerably in the last years. Through Tekna, Terje organizes the “Frisk fisk” (“Healthy fish”) conference every year, addressing precisely fish health and welfare.  
"Just during the last four years, the number of participants has doubled, and that says something of how much more wide-spread this has become. We also observe that there are significantly more people being educated as aqua medicine biologists, and far more people work with fish health at fish farms, with suppliers and in the rest of the industry than just a few years ago."          
… and how do you do it, specifically? "Take for instance the aspect of introducing a new raw material in the feed. Then we do thorough testing in the laboratory through various analyses and fish experiments where we evaluate how the raw material works for the fish. We observe how the feed affects the fish, both in terms of growth and different health parameters. Growth is usually a good indicator. A fish that thrives, grows better. To be on the safe side, we also conduct other analyses for health parameters, such as tissue histology.
RAS is another aspect that is unique to what I do. The matter is then that we do have quality feed, but we make adjustments to improve the quality of the water the fish live in. It makes it more complicated, but it is important to the health and welfare of the fish. In RAS we feed the fish as well as the microorganisms that contribute to cleaning the biofilter, meaning we must take the system into account as not to compromise on the fish. That’s what matters."   
What would happen if you did not prioritize fish health and fish welfare in your work? "We would then end up with products that simply work badly. Our customers would perform worse, and in the end the entire industry will get a bad reputation. You may be lucky at times, but if you are not attentive, things can go wrong quickly. It’s important that the feed is safe for the fish and that the fish is safe food for humans."   
What are the benefits of prioritising fish health and welfare, and for whom? "Everyone benefits from prioritising fish health and welfare. It is favourable for the fish and for the environment. It is favourable for the owners and it is socioeconomically favourable. You waste resources when the fish die or grow poorly. Few things are less sustainable than fish that die during production. You have invested a lot of time, money and resources on work, equipment and not least feed. If the fish dies and is turned into silage, it goes from being a superior resource as food for humans to an inferior one."
 
At times, the salmon suffer severe strain, with handling and stress. A healthy fish means great potential. This is evident from EWOS DERMIC, which makes the fish more robust. If the fish turn less robust because I don’t do my job, we are in trouble.      
 
– Why should Fish First be an important focus area for the whole of Cargill?
At Cargill, we work with nutrition, and the right nutrition is key to cultivating healthy fish. If you want healthy fish, you cannot forget health and welfare. Everyone in the industry is aware of how important this is, and most people also realise there is a connection between good fish health, welfare and profitability.

Good fish welfare is beneficial to all

When Ted started working in the industry, selling feed was almost solely focused on price and growth (effect). Today there are more elements in the equation, not least fish health and sustainability.
Why do you put the fish first in the work you do? "Putting the fish first is important in all contact with existing and potential feed suppliers. It’s an eternal balance between the price of feed, sustainability and fish growth and health. The most important thing is that the salmon’s carbon footprint, the end product, is as small as possible, not necessarily the feed’s carbon footprint. 
Proper feed should strengthen the fish’s immune system. Among other things, Cargill conducts research concerning different raw materials’ potential impact on the fish’s intestinal health. For instance, feed with ordinary soybean meal induces enteritis in salmon while soy protein concentrate does not pose the same challenges for fish health."
 .. and how do you do it, specifically? "There are always a handful projects of great variety going on, where the point is to find the right solutions that will initially be used restrictively before being upscaled. Many aspects need to be clarified before the raw materials are brought to the factory and turned into ingredients in the EWOS feed. After potential raw materials are identified, they are tested in Dirdal.
What’s particularly important today, is to upscale ingredients like algal oil and insects. We work with protein concentrates from various vegetal sources such as soy, rapeseed and sunflowers. Yeast and bacteria can become sources for feed through fermentation, where microorganisms break down and consume organic material and create biomass rich in protein."
What would happen if you did not prioritize fish health and fish welfare in your work? "Without the Fish First philosophy we would risk product development focusing solely on growth and price instead of contributing to healthy fish that cope with everyday life."
What are the benefits of prioritizing fish health and fish welfare, and for whom? "There is constant pressure from consumers and NGOs who are critical of farmed salmon and the feed they eat, but the criticism often stems from lack of knowledge.
Sustainability must be driven forward in collaboration between Cargill and customers, because turning more cost-efficient as well as sustainable is quite demanding. It costs, and this will be reflected in the price of feed based on the customers’ requirements.
Cargill already cooperates successfully with other parties in this field, like for instance Lerøy, who wants to utilize insects and algal oil. Cargill knows how to test, develop and create different customized feed, but we cannot subsidize the customers. Consequently, there are some extra costs, often large initially, but prices go down when production is upscaled."
 
Small and medium sized companies, like Hofseth and Eide, are also willing to go in for customized products. Often the issue is finding a niche market of customers who are willing to pay a bit extra.
 
Customers are willing to pay more for products with high documented effect on growth and health, but we must also stress that sustainability is a value in itself.
 
Why should Fish First be an important focus area for the whole of Cargill?
– Fish First is particularly important when it comes to fish health. Increasingly more critical light is shed on the welfare and survival of the fish, and Cargill must supply feed that improves fish health. Again, balance is important. To the fish farmers, the number of kilos they have to kill off is what counts in the end, but then they know better than anyone else that inferior health means even more loss.

Finds the right solutions

Synne's job includes developing feeds that meet the fish’s different nutritional needs under various conditions, and to follow up on formulation and production concerning what is possible to achieve and the costs.
"Our team is responsible for product specification. We make sure our feeds are as good as they can possibly be. When new knowledge surfaces, for instance about vitamins or raw materials, we include this in the feeds. We set the limits for minimum and maximum raw materials, vitamins and minerals content, and keep register of the limitations for raw materials. We also have to take technical requirements into consideration."
Why do you put the fish first in the work you do? "It’s essential when composing feed. A fish that doesn’t get what it needs, may develop deficiency diseases or at worst die. If the feed is proper, the fish has the best conditions for it to stay healthy. A feed that is inadequate will also make the fish grow more slowly, and the longer the fish stays in the sea, the higher mortality. So, a fish that grows well means good fish welfare in addition to yielding profit for the farmer. A healthy fish is a win-win for all."
... and how do you do it, specifically? "We have to know what the fish needs in its present circumstances. Is it a normal healthy fish or does it live under challenging conditions? We map out its nutritional needs, meet these needs and observe how it reacts to different compositions of nutrients. We have ongoing research to better understand the interaction between nutrients. We follow up with testing, and we never include anything in the feed that isn’t tested thoroughly enough. We create studies to observe how the fish responds, and we follow external research to keep up to date. 
The requirements concerning the fish’s need are present no matter what, independent of access to and the cost of raw materials. The fish’s need come first." 
What would happen if you did not prioritize fish health and fish welfare in your work? "The fish wouldn’t get the best feed it could have had. If we slackened the quality requirements, the fish would be less able to cope with stress and disease, and its quality and growth could get worse.
If the fish doesn’t thrive, it must spend energy on fighting diseases. Then it grows less and mortality increases. This taints the reputation of the entire industry. When we provide feed that increases fish survival and makes the fish look well and healthy, we and the industry alike gain a better reputation.
Keeping fish in the sea is a big risk in itself. If it grows well and reaches the desired size early, it can be harvested earlier and will have shorter exposure time to salmon louse and diseases. This is good fish welfare and it also yields more profit for the fish farmer. Growth isn’t solely profit, it’s welfare too."  
What are the benefits of prioritizing fish health and fish welfare, and for whom? "Firstly, it benefits the fish itself. When it thrives, it contracts less diseases and suffers less stress, and fewer fish suffer and die unnecessarily. It also benefits the fish farmer, who has more fish to sell. Healthy fish and low mortality also benefit the industry’s reputation and the social economy. Ultimately, it is beneficial to us having quality feeds. That we can vouch for a humane food production also benefits society. We get the most food out of the resources we utilize, and that’s of great importance."
Why should Fish First be an important focus area for the whole of Cargill? "It’s the core of what we do. We work with fish and must put the fish first, otherwise we fail. If we choose quick solutions and make them as cheap as possible, it will backfire on us. If we don’t deliver to standard, the customer will go somewhere else.
The most important thing is to always be attentive to what the fish needs. That’s the core of what we do and continuously work on through research. We have to understand the fish and compose the ultimate feed for it, because what’s best for the fish is also best for the customer. It’s all closely connected. "

A healthy fish is a win-win for all

Why do you put the fish first in the work you do? 
"Because it’s one of the areas where we can achieve the greatest value creation through helping fish farmers achieve the highest possible rate of fish survival and growth. Primarily, I work with digital solutions that contributes to better fish health in general. Among these SalmoNIR, which is developed for sampling and analysing fat and colour of live salmon. It makes it possible to scan live fish instead of slaughtering it. This means we save the fish as well as time and money.        
What would happen in your work if you didn’t prioritise fish health and welfare? "If we didn’t prioritise this, we would be less efficient and relevant to our customers. Fish health and welfare is something they care deeply about."
What are the benefits of prioritising fish health and welfare, and for whom? "It benefits the entire food chain, all the way from the producer to the consumer. To the consumer, it’s important that the food they eat is produced in a proper way." 
Why should Fish First be an important focus area for the whole of Cargill? "I think it’s natural when you work with ocean farming. It ‘s about prioritising the product, quality-wise, with the end product in mind, but also purely ethically. It brings our product into focus and reminds us of what this is ultimately all about."

Good fish welfare brings clear profit

Why do you put the fish first in the work you do? "In the feed experiments we conduct, it’s important that the fish thrive for us to measure how the feed works. Fish welfare and the fish’s stress level affect the quality of the research results we arrive at. If this is not observed, we might end up with insufficient or wrong results." 
… and how do you do it, specifically? "Fish need the best environment possible. Certain aspects we cannot influence, such as weather and wind conditions. Exterior factors such as noise and disturbances must be minimised as a stressed fish will easily get sick. Meanwhile, a nutritionally balanced feed has a positive effect. We have developed a broad spectre of products to maintain this." 
What would happen if you did not prioritize fish health and fish welfare in your work? "If we didn’t prioritise, we wouldn’t achieve comparable results in our tests, and then we wouldn’t gain any confidence in the market. Good fish health and welfare provide more realistic and consistent results."
What are the benefits of prioritising fish health and welfare, and for whom? "Among other things you have a safer and more robust fish and production. We often make choices that are somewhat costly in the short term but will have a good effect in the long term. Consequently, it’s important not to be tempted by short-term profit." 
 Why should Fish First be an important focus area for the whole of Cargill? "Fish First provides us with a clear focus as an organization. It’s easy to forget that there are many people working here who actually never see a fish during their workday. At the same time, we depend on everyone being aware of what is important to the fish biologically speaking, and to upscale this to a large production. The aim is to create the best feed to produce the best fish. Which means we must conduct the right experiments in the right way."

Gains confidence in the market

Why do you put the fish first in the work you do? "For two reasons mainly, an ethical and an economical. From an ethical perspective, simply because we care. We care about the animals and we want them to have the best possible living conditions.
From an economical perspective, the “fish system” has high productivity only if the machinery works well. You cannot imagine going fast in a car that has a flat tire or make a long trip if you have not had proper maintenance. We “ask” the fish to produce valuable flesh for our consumption and to do so at a pace that is always pushing the limits. In order to achieve that, we need to take care of them and their welfare as best we can." 
... and how do you do it, specifically? "I work in innovation, and we conduct controlled trials to test fish performance under different conditions. We simply need to ensure that we constantly monitor the animals’ welfare and that the new knowledge we generate in innovation does not affect and interfere with fish welfare. If it does interfere, we would rather not implement those changes, but search for other solutions. I must say this rarely happens though, because fish health/welfare goes hand in hand with performance for the reasons I explained above."
What would happen if you did not prioritize fish health and fish welfare in your work? "For a start, we would most likely compromise performance. But more importantly, we would go against who we are. It makes no sense thinking about what would happen if we didn’t prioritize fish health and welfare because it simply will not happen. This is who we are and want to be, as a company and as individuals. Cargill has the same approach to our working environment, for instance, a strong safety culture aiming to create a working environment with Zero Harm. This is a very ambitious goal for a company like ours. And every year, each employee commits to put safety above anything else. We simply cannot do what we do if we are not safe, can we? It’s exactly the same for the fish."
What are the benefits of prioritizing fish health and fish welfare, and for whom? "The benefits and the reasons are summarized in the first answer. Everyone benefits from putting the fish first. Customers produce more, the fish live a more decent life and we can continue doing what we’re doing being conscious that we have done our best to ensure our contribution to fish welfare and health."
Why should Fish First be an important focus area for the whole of Cargill? "Husbandry conditions play a big role in determining optimal fish health and welfare, and most of our customers are doing their best to secure the ideal conditions for the animals. Despite that, fish has to endure and fight some challenges. To fight these challenges, they need specific nutrients. Cargill supplies those nutrients in the feed, and we have the responsibility to ensure that we have done all we can think of in order to understand what the fish need to thrive."

Simply because we care

Sustaining the salmon’s nutritional demands ensures good fish welfare and high production performance at the same time. By proudly and consistently putting the Fish First, we provide better results. For the fish. For the farmers. For the environment and, ultimately, for the consumer.

Focus on fish welfare with Fish First - EWOS

Fish First

<a href="https://www.ewos.com/uk/fish-first/with-the-fish-as-your-employer">"Good fish welfare makes all the other pieces fall into place"</a>

Renate Kvingedal - Research

<a href="https://www.ewos.com/uk/fish-first/good-welfare-creates-positive-ripple-effects">"The well-being of the fish is our top priority"</a>

Jo Nørstebø - Customer development

<a href="https://www.ewos.com/uk/fish-first/the-fish-should-thrive-not-just-survive">"We all want to do our very best for the fish we feed. Not only do we have a moral and ethical responsibility to prioritise fish health and welfare, it also makes good business sense"</a>

Lindsay Pollock - Sustainability

<a href="https://www.ewos.com/uk/fish-first/good-fish-welfare-is-beneficial-to-all">"Good fish welfare is absolutely fundamental for sound production, sustainability and profitability"</a>

Terje Utne - Research

<a href="https://www.ewos.com/uk/fish-first/finds-the-right-solutions">"Without the Fish First philosophy we would risk product development focusing solely on growth and price instead of contributing to healthy fish that cope with everyday life"</a>

Ted Mollan - Supply

<a href="https://www.ewos.com/uk/fish-first/a-healthy-fish-is-a-win-win-for-all">"What’s best for the fish is also best for the customer"</a>

Synne Andersen - Product development

<a href="https://www.ewos.com/uk/fish-first/good-fish-welfare-brings-clear-profit">"It’s about prioritising the product, quality-wise, with the end product in mind, but also purely ethically"</a>

Ketil Christensen - Digital

<a href="https://www.ewos.com/uk/fish-first/gains-confidence-in-the-market">"It’s important not to be tempted by short-term profit"</a>

Jarle Ravndal - Field trials

<a href="https://www.ewos.com/uk/fish-first/simply-because-we-care">"We care about the animals and we want them to have the best possible living conditions"</a>

Christian De Santis - Research

<a href="https://www.ewos.com/uk/fish-first/food-safety-and-fish-welfare-trump-everything">“Fish health is an investment in future profitability and growth to build the industry further”</a>

Hans Høie - Formulation

We put the fish first in all we do

Cargill has a network of R&amp;D centres across the globe including a dedicated health challenge centre in Chile and a nutritional excellence centre in Dirdal, Norway. 
These centres also allow us to rapidly screen new ingredients, or combinations of ingredients to understand their bioavailability and functionality to meet the nutritional demands of the fish.  This approach has led to Cargill delivering market leading diets such as EWOS Rapid, EWOS Adapt and our EWOS Micro and CLEAR hatchery diets. 
With good feed, the salmon has the best condition/prerequisite to stay healthy. We work closely with our customers to meet these needs.
<h3> Contact your customer consultant to learn more about our feed concept for salmon.</h3>

To design and produce salmon feed can be quite complex. A salmon needs proper nutrition in all stages of its life cycle, adapted to the various conditions in which it lives. Our approach to developing our feed products is to put the needs of the fish first.

Salmon feed for farmed salmon - EWOS

Salmon

<h3>Contact your customer consultant to learn more about our feed concept for trout</h3>

Trout is farmed widely in Scotland/UK, but in small quantities compared to salmon. Cargill specialises in producing unique, bespoke trout feeds supported by years of innovation knowledge and experience delivered by our dedicated and passionate team.

Trout feed for farmed trout - EWOS

Trout

<h3>Contact your customer consultant to learn more about our feed solutions for juvenile fish.</h3>

Developing feed that gives the smolt the best possible starting point for life at sea is fundamental for good results. Cargill offers hatchery feed from starter feed to smolt ready for sea, both for flow-through systems and recycling systems (RAS).

Fish feed for farmed juvenile fish - RAS feed - EWOS

Juvenile fish

<h3>Download our <a rel="noopener" data-udi="umb://media/daf857cf512943e983a8282ed171ce9a" href="https://ewoscmsmedia.cglcloud.in/media/4014/ewos_lumpus-issuu-2-eng.pdf" target="_blank" title="Ewos_Lumpus Issuu 2 ENG.pdf">EWOS LUMPUS brochure</a> to learn more about our feed solutions and recommendations for lumpfish.</h3>
Contact your customer consultant or our EWOS Lumpus team for more info about our feed solutions for cleaner fish.

EWOS LUMPUS team

Cleaning fish are entitled equally good welfare as salmon and trout. Cargill offers fish feed solutions that are specially adapted to the nutritional needs of lumpfish and the various cleaner fish species.

Fish feed for cleaning fish - EWOS

Lumpfish

Our range of products protect the fish through challenges encountered during its life. For the past 20 years we have achieved this by: 
<ul>
<li>using natural, sustainably sourced ingredients </li>
<li>understanding customers spesific needs </li>
<li>being the number one in supplying organic feed </li>
<li>providing the highest quality organic feed from our dedicated Scottish facility </li>
</ul>
Check out our EWOS HARMONY brochure <a rel="noopener" data-udi="umb://media/08c18b0bf6434e629b0fd8cf381d41e4" href="https://ewoscmsmedia.cglcloud.in/media/3901/ewos-harmony-brochure-a4_final.pdf" target="_blank" title="EWOS Harmony Brochure A4_FINAL.pdf">here</a>  
<h3>Contact your customer consultant to learn more about our organic feed solutions. </h3>

EWOS HARMONY is the leading range of organic fish feed approved for use in organic salmon farming. We carefully formulate our diets from the highest quality raw materials to ensure every organic salmon thrives and consumers benefit through clean conscientious eating.

Organic fish feed for farmed organic fish - EWOS

Organic

Naturally responsible organic feed 

Our quality system is based on laws and regulations, customer requirements and internal Cargill requirements. Our factory in Scotland is certified with four internationally recognized certification schemes for quality (ISO 9001); food safety (ISO 22000); environment (ISO 14001); and Health &amp; Safety (ISO 45001).
In addition, we are UFAS (Universal Feed Assurance Scheme) certified, where UFAS is a recognized and acceptable feed safety certification for supply to farmers who hold GlobalGAP and other forms of certification.
 
Our certifications in Scotland: 
ISO 9001 – Quality management (<a rel="noopener" data-udi="umb://media/58918ba1cbfe4d4e8604ab02c8351fd9" href="https://ewoscmsmedia.cglcloud.in/media/3911/iso-9001-ewos-ltd-expiry-7-mar-2024.pdf" target="_blank" title="ISO 9001 - EWOS Ltd. - expiry 7 Mar 2024.pdf">PDF</a>) 
ISO 14001 - Environmental management (<a rel="noopener" data-udi="umb://media/5bc050166d08440eb805f52dffd4621a" href="https://ewoscmsmedia.cglcloud.in/media/3912/iso-14001-ewos-ltd-expiry-7-mar-2024.pdf" target="_blank" title="ISO 14001 - EWOS Ltd - expiry 7 Mar 2024.pdf">PDF</a>) 
ISO 45001 - Health and Safety management (<a rel="noopener" data-udi="umb://media/a16303e23ff941f58fddd65627fa4fa1" href="https://ewoscmsmedia.cglcloud.in/media/3914/iso-45001-ewos-ltd-expiry-7-mar-2024.pdf" target="_blank" title="ISO 45001 - EWOS Ltd - expiry 7 Mar 2024.pdf">PDF</a>) 
ISO 22000 – Food safety (<a data-udi="umb://media/60fb16b27a8448ba838b146b9d178b77" href="https://ewoscmsmedia.cglcloud.in/media/3913/iso-22000-ewos-ltd-expiry-16-june-2021.pdf" title="ISO 22000 - EWOS Ltd - expiry 16 June 2021.pdf">PDF</a>) 
UFAS - Feed safety (<a rel="noopener" data-udi="umb://media/d663f7112ba942a9b8be487f02e3de89" href="https://ewoscmsmedia.cglcloud.in/media/3910/ufas-ewos-ltd-expiry-30-april-2023.pdf" target="_blank" title="UFAS - EWOS Ltd. - expiry 30 April 2023.pdf">PDF</a>)

Transparency and traceability throughout the value chain are fundamental values at Cargill. Our customers and consumers can be confident that the feed we deliver satisfies the fish's requirements for health and nutrition, the customer’s expectations for performance, growth and sustainability goals, and is safe food for the consumer.

Fish feed that ensure food safety and quality - EWOS

Food safety and quality

Products and services

Our nutrition offerings and services

The research in Dirdal started in 1986 when former EWOS opened a research station. Ten years later, the research station had expanded to include a technology center and two sea sites for large-scale research trials, achieving a co-location of fish feed research and research on technology on fish feed production. In 2017 Cargill opened a cutting-edge research laboratory, and the latest addition is a research lab for Recirculating Aquaculture systems (RAS) which opened in 2020.
These state-of-the-art R&amp;D facilities, including world-class researchers, has laid the foundation for Cargill to provide our customers with highest standards of advice, guidance and fish feed for good fish welfare and profitability.

Cargill Innovation Center Dirdal

Cargill Innovation Center i Dirdal

The innovation center includes a sealice research lab, where feed is tested and developed that contain natural components without using medicine. The latest addition is a dedicated RAS lab which opened in 2020, where research on feed for recirculating aquaculture systems is conducted. In addition, the innovation center consists of a research facility, a purpose-built research lab, a pilot plant for feed production and the full-scale seaside fish trial sites Gråttnes and Oltesvik.
Cargill is continuously looking for new source of protein that can contribute to a continued sustainable growth in the production of farmed salmon, and the innovation center has several ongoing projects on this matter.

Research areas

Cargill Innovation Center in Dirdal, Norway, focus its research on nutrition and nutrition-related areas for salmonids, including feed processing and raw material development. Fish health and fish welfare have high priority at the research center, with its fundament of promoting sustainable aquaculture.

Research on feed to promote fish welfare and sustainable farming - EWOS

Research

Research and Innovation

Our commitment As a leading supplier of feed and nutrition for the international aquaculture industry, Cargill is committed to use of responsible and sustainable practices that support increasing global consumption of fish and seafood, protect the environment, and help farmers succeed.
Our progress Our focus on research, nutrition and innovation enables farmers to grow the supply of healthy fish and seafood, improve food production efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of aquaculture. We provide sustainable solutions for farmers of salmon, tilapia, shrimp, carp, catfish and other species of fish and seafood.
Our sustainability reports Cargill Aqua Nutrition has been reporting on sustainability for more than ten years, first as part of Cermaq, then as EWOS and now as Cargill Aqua Nutrition.
  <a href="https://www.cargill.com/sustainability/aquaculture/aquaculture-sustainability-reporting" title="Les våre bærekraftsrapporter her">Read our sustainability reports here</a>

The two companies have selected shipping company Eidsvaag to be responsible for planning and handling of transport, including ships currently under contract.
Cargill and Sketting have also engaged a neutral coordinator, the Belgian company Tri-Vizor, to ensure this collaboration complies with competition law and neutrality.
Fredrik Witte, Managing Director of Cargill Aqua Nutrition, North Sea, commented “Fjordfrende, which translates as fjord friend, has reduced the number of vessels moving, saving time and cost through greater efficiencies. With Cargill’s focus on our customers, we deliver more efficiently and with a significantly lower footprint”.
Read more about "Fjordfrende" here

Fjordfrende

Fjordfrende: Cargill and Skretting join forces to reduce environmental impact

<img style="width: 751px; height: 393px;" src="https://ewoscmsmedia.cglcloud.in/media/3719/seafurther_1200x628.jpg?width=751&amp;height=393&amp;mode=max" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/4a3e92275cba4a9aab6b2c0da92ee80e" />
Cargill partners with farmers to protect oceans, a vital ecosystem where the company helps to grow and move food around the world.
Cargill’s latest initiative, <a href="https://www.cargill.com/sustainability/supply-chains/seafurther-sustainability-aquaculture">SeaFurther™ Sustainability</a>, will help aqua farmers raise more sustainable seafood with less environmental impact. It is part of the company’s overall carbon commitment, with a science-based scope 3 target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent per tonne of food by 2030. SeaFurther alone will help save two billion kilograms of CO2 by 2030, which is the equivalent of removing more than 400,000 cars from the road.
“With SeaFurther Sustainability we are charting a new bold course, one that makes aquaculture better for our planet,” said Pilar Cruz, president and group leader for Cargill Aqua Nutrition. “Seafood consumption is rising globally. We want to meet that demand; increasing production while decreasing environmental impact. By working closely with farmers to source sustainable ingredients, improve farm productivity and ensure fish welfare, Cargill is redefining aquaculture’s role in helping the world thrive.”
Reducing the climate impact of aqua farming and feed Cargill’s SeaFurther program will start with salmon farmers, who are focused on the role they play in ocean stewardship and addressing the sustainability of food systems, especially with relation to climate change.
“We are excited to see a clear commitment from Cargill that is focused on the needs to reduce the environmental footprint of salmon,”said Stian Amble, Biology and Quality Advisor, Nova Sea.  “Delivering more sustainable aquaculture will require the value chain to align on key goals and work together to deliver on them. By agreeing on the value of the changes that are required, we can deliver true transformation to become more sustainable more quickly and at greater scale.”
Through SeaFurther Sustainability, Cargill is setting the goal to reduce the footprint of farmed salmon 30% by 2030.  Today, feed represents up to 90% of a salmon’s environmental footprint. To reduce this climate impact and enable salmon farmers to provide consumers with sustainably raised seafood options, SeaFurther is focused on:
<ul>
<li>Sourcing — Cargill’s feed is designed to minimize the environmental footprint of aquaculture. We work closely with our suppliers to grow responsibly-sourced ingredients and supply chains while finding ways to reuse by-products, like fish trimmings that would normally be discarded, whenever we can. Together, we strive to identify and source novel ingredients that create even more sustainable feed, helping our customers and partners achieve our shared sustainability goals – and meet global consumer demand. </li>
<li>Maximizing — Cargill knows aqua sustainability happens at the farmer level. Utilizing its extensive aquaculture feed experience, Cargill helps farmers do more with less to increase efficiency and maximize production while decreasing their impact on the planet. </li>
<li>Caring — Consumers want to know how their protein was raised and animal welfare must be at the center of any sustainability program. SeaFurther intends to safeguard farmed fish through nutrition solutions that protect and promote animal health, reducing the use of resources and the impact on the ocean at large.</li>
</ul>
While the company is starting with salmon, SeaFurther will expand, with an intent to add other species, like shrimp in the near future. This initiative builds on Cargill’s extensive supply chain efforts which center around the belief that agriculture is how we’ll feed a growing population while protecting our earth’s resources.
Protecting Our Oceans, from feed to transportation SeaFurther joins a fleet of Cargill’s strategic partnerships, investments, research and technologies aimed at protecting oceans. Cargill is leading the way in reducing the environmental impact of global bulk shipping in line with the International Maritime Organization’s target to reduce decarbonize shipping by at least 50 percent by 2050
“The health of the world’s salmon is ultimately linked to the health of our oceans,” said Jan Dieleman, president of Cargill’s Ocean Transportation business. “Large-scale carbon reduction requires commitment across the global supply chain and we’re working with partners to develop solutions to reduce our impact on the environment. As one of the world’s largest vessel charterers, Cargill continues its push to reduce emissions and raise industry standards.”
Since the end of 2019, Cargill has installed around $3 million USD worth of energy saving equipment onboard some of our long-term time charter vessels. Cargill is also a strategic partner of ZeroNorth, a tech start-up that provides digital tools that improve vessel performance and reduce fuel consumption. In 2020, Cargill partnered with BAR Technologies to bring their WindWings - large, solid wing sails that measure up to 45 meters in height - to the deck of bulk cargo ships to harness the power of the wind and reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 30 percent.
“Cargill has an opportunity to drive real, positive climate impact for people and the planet,” said Cruz. “With our global footprint and view across supply chains, sustainable oceans and sustainable seafood can become a reality if we are all in, partnering with farmers, working across the industry and pulling in the same direction.”

SeaFurther

As a leading supplier of feed and nutrition for the international aquaculture industry, Cargill is committed to use of responsible and sustainable practices that support increasing global consumption of fish and seafood, protect the environment, and help farmers succeed. Cargill ensures the best solutions for the salmon industry by putting the fish first.

Sustainable aquaculture and fish farming - Our focus - EWOS

Sustainability

EWOS Scotland have been manufacturing and supplying world leading fish feeds for over 20 years.  Our dedicated team has, and always will, take great pride in the quality of our products and services. Based on customer feedback, we are widely recognised as having one of the shortest order lead times, the most flexible customer service team and industry leading technical site support.  We pride ourselves on being the market leader with respect to salmon feed innovation where fish health, welfare and performance is at the heart of everything we do.  In 2015, EWOS was acquired by Cargill, a global food corporation based in USA. Today, EWOS is the product and services brand of Cargill's aqua nutrition business.

<h2>General inquiries:</h2>
Email: <a href="mailto:customersolutionsuk@cargill.com">customersolutionsuk@cargill.com</a> Phone: +44 1506 633966
Postal and visitor address: Cargill, Westfield, Bathgate, Scotland, EH48 3BP 
<h2>Media and marketing relations:</h2>
Marketing specialist Christina Hæraas, christina_haraas@cargill.com, +47 900 69 645

Contact our customer service and sales team

Contact us

Contact EWOS Scotland

As a truly global company, our workforce needs to reflect the diversity of the global communities where we operate. With a career at Cargill, your diverse viewpoints, experiences and backgrounds can connect to something greater.
For further details, please view the <a href="https://careers.cargill.com/diversity/">Cargill website</a>

Inclusion and diversity

More info about career in Cargill <a href="https://careers.cargill.com/">here</a>

Career

Working at Cargill

EWOS Scotland have been manufacturing and supplying world leading fish feeds for over 20 years. In 2015, EWOS was acquired by Cargill, a global food corporation based in USA. Today, EWOS is the product and services brand of Cargill's aqua nutrition business, a world leading fish feed supplier of salmon feed.

About us - leading supplier of fish feed - EWOS

About us

About EWOS in Scotland