Vince McDonagh

Investing in organic

Lerøy is investigating new, organic practices for its salmon as well as the possibilities for a new crop – seaweed

BY VINCE MCDONAGH

COULD “organic” be the next big global development in world aquaculture?

Lerøy Seafood seems to think so, which is probably why it has introduced a new salmon quality mark and is accelera� ng its seaweed project.

Lerøy Organic has been launched in response to high demand and as a pla� orm off ering a full range of quality-marked cer� fi ed seafoods. 

Organic salmon is not new, of course, but it remains at the margins for most fi sh farming companies. That could be about to change, however.

Lerøy’s Head of Sales and Distribu� on, Lene Fammestad, said recently: “We want to be a complete supplier of seafood and we are seeing that a growing number of people want organic, as well as conven� onal, salmon.”

So far, Lerøy Organic consists of the product Organic Salmon and the new seaweed brand called Mǽr. 

The quality mark assures consumers that their food has been produced according to organic principles.

Strict EU regula� ons apply when labelling a product as organic. They ensure that the produc� on process is kept as natural as possible and with minimum impact on the environment.

Currently, Lerøy’s organic salmon is produced at four fi sh farms in the Norwegian county of Vestland.

Normally, the nets in which fi sh are held are impregnated with a product that contains copper to prevent bivalves and algae growing on them. When copper comes into contact with water, it erodes, which can nega� vely impact condi� ons on the sea fl oor. Copper can not therefore be used in organic produc� on.

The maximum density of salmon in the nets is also less than half what it is for conven� onal salmon, which minimises the environmental impact of the aquaculture.

In conven� onal produc� on, salmon cons� tutes up to 2.5% of the volume in cages, but in organic farming it is just 1%, leaving 99% as water.

“Lerøy’s organic salmon is of excellent quality, so naturally it is in high demand. Our hope is that more and more people will no� ce this, so we can distribute it to even more consumers around the world,” Fammestad explains. Another plus is that the salmon is only fed on organic feed, with a higher content of marine-based ingredients than that given to conven� onally reared salmon. The characteris� c pink colour is obtained by using Panaferd, a feed addi� ve derived from micro-

Above: Sugar kelp Left: Lene Fammestad Opposite from top: Organic salmon; Organic Ocean Forest seaweed from Lerøy

“It is the most sustainable food on Earth!”

organisms that contains carotenoids, which are good for the health of the fi sh as well as ensuring an a� rac� ve colour, the company maintains.

So what about taste? Fredrik Hald, a trained chef who is Head of Product Development at Lerøy, says the organic off ering is diff erent from that of normal salmon and has a fi rmer consistency.

“It has a rich and mild taste: part sweet, part sea and part pleasant vegetable tones”, says Hald.

The Lerøy organic project – a wide range of salmon products are on off er – will be watched closely by rival companies. If it takes off in a big way, others are sure to follow.

Seaweed as a superfood?

The same goes for seaweed cul� va� on. In Europe, only a few years ago it was largely the curious preserve of coastal communi� es and a small band of environmentalists.

Both groups have always been full of praise for seaweed as a food with genuine health benefi ts, although the jury is s� ll out on this claim.

Nevertheless, seaweed is today considered a superfood, and contains vitamins A, B, C and E. It is also packed with minerals such as potassium, which our bodies need in order for our nerves, muscles and kidneys to func� on properly.

Lerøy believes it has real poten� al now to extend its focus beyond animal protein, which is why the company has established Mǽr as part of its work to develop seaweed for human consump� on.

The company is currently concentra� ng on sugar kelp, a common form of seaweed found in northern shallow seas.

Torbjørn Baugstø, the Sales and Concept Manager for Mǽr, says seaweed doesn’t need land, fresh water, feed, fer� liser or large farms, so the produc� on is completely sustainable. He says: “It is the most sustainable food on Earth!”

Despite its name, sugar kelp has a naturally salty taste and contains high levels of glutamic acid, which can help learning and memory. The salt content is quite low and is a healthier alterna� ve to ordinary salt.

Torbjørn said: “The sugar kelp we grow in the northern part of Austevoll gets everything it needs in the sea – nutrients from the water and plenty of sunlight – so there are no environmental downsides to its produc� on.

“Marine algae, including sugar kelp, are also responsible for most of the world’s oxygen produc� on, and they are more effi cient at capturing carbon than rain forests.”

He adds: “The sugar kelp we grow in the northern part of Austevoll gets everything it needs in the sea – nutrients from the water and plenty of sunlight – so there are no environmental downsides to its produc� on.”

Work on pu� ng out this year’s crop of kelp began a few months ago. In winter, the water is now cold enough so that the other organisms that grow on the sugar kelp, and which represent a threat to it, are less dominant.

“Kelp prefers cold water and naturally it grows from autumn un� l spring. By mid-June it begins to break down due to excessively high water temperatures and algal blooms”, says Ocean Forest’s Produc� on Manager for Kelp Cu� ngs, Sunniva Tangen Haldorsen.

When the kelp is harvested in May, it is fermented and sent to Denmark as an ingredient in feed for farm animals, including ca� le where it has a very unusual use. Ca� le produce very high methane emissions, and if they eat kelp it actually means they emit less wind.

“Kelp has also been shown to improve the intes� nal health of piglets, reducing the need for an� bio� cs,” Sunniva says.

With a tasty, nutri� ous crop that has the poten� al to eat up the excess carbon we produce, the “blue economy” looks set to be greener than ever. FF