Food and nutrition

- important for well-being and quality of our fish

Fish nutrition has a huge impact on the health, size and quality of farmed fish. Therefore, even though we have extensive experience in fish farming, we are always ready to adapt out feeding according to the newest scientific information and to use the most nutritious and environmentally friendly fish food on the market.

NUTRITION
Zander and trout are predators and therefore it is necessary that their feed contains high quality proteins and lipids, typically in the form of fishmeal and fish oils. Usually, a combination of forage fish and trimmings from the fish processing trade are used to produce both fish meal and fish oil, known also as marine resources.

In order to provide the most effective utilization of these marine resources, feed companies blend these fish meals and oils with other protein and lipid sources (such as plant oils and plant proteins). It is important that the feed also contains enough vitamins and minerals to maintain the health and quality of the fish.

FEED UTILISATION
Farmed fish have some of the best food conversion rates. This is due to the fish not requiring the need to use energy to maintain its body temperature. There is also generally a high meat to bone ratio, due to the fish living in a neutrally buoyant environment, thus only requiring a smaller lighter skeleton.

FEED CONSUMPTION
We do what we can to feed our fish as effectively as possible. This applies to both AquaPri and the Danish aquaculture industry in general. If the feed is not properly administered to the fish, uneaten food can release nutrients to the environment. Equally there has been an improvement in the digestibility of the diets. Therefore, the industry has managed to significantly improve feed utilization since the late 1980s, especially in trout farming. 

This graph clearly shows a positive trend in trout production, feed utilization and food conversion ratios (FCR) from 1989-2008.

The declining FCR represents a better utilization of feed. (Source: "Breeding of rainbow trout in Denmark": Jokumsen and Svendsen 2010.)