Feed maker bids to take the heat off salmon

The project is being led by Australian feed manufacturer Ridley, which has secured a A$3 million grant from the federal government.

That funding was granted in the latest round of the Australian Governments Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-Ps), with Ridley as the lead applicant in partnership with Deakin University, The University of Queensland, CSIRO, and Genics Pty Ltd.

Nutritional physiology strategies

The project, titled “Future-proofing the salmon farming industry in the face of climate warming”, will help to safeguard and boost sustainability in Australia’s salmon industry.

It will employ nutritional physiology strategies to increase resilience of salmon at times of increased temperatures, such as those experienced during the summer months. The project will enable Ridley to further tailor its diets to meet the future challenges of the unique Australasian environment.

Ridley’s chief executive and managing director, Quinton Hildebrand, said: “Ridley has a long history of investing in the advancement of the aquaculture industry, through both innovation and infrastructure as demonstrated through the completion of our state-of-the-art extruded feed facility in Tasmania. Our focus is on ensuring that we provide animal nutrition solutions tailored for our Australian and New Zealand customers.”

Tangible benefits

The project is expected to be delivered in 2023. It will employ several PhD and post-doctoral positions with tangible benefits to be achieved throughout the duration of the project and long into the future.

CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) is a government agency responsible for a broad swathe of scientific research. This includes work on climate change and the development of a genetically modified canola which contains the long chain omega-3 acids normally only found in marine ingredients.