SCOTTISH scientists are testing whether oils from microalgae and genetically modified oilseed crops could provide beneficial omega-3 for salmon and in turn boost levels in the human diet.

Led by Professor Douglas Tocher and Dr Monica Betancor, fish nutritionists at the Stirling University’s Institute of Aquaculture (IoA), the new study will consider the viability and impact of microalgae and genetically modified (GM) crops in providing the omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

The innovative project – funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council – will see these novel oils incorporated into salmon feed, with the team monitoring the impact of the new omega-3 sources on the response of the fish to specific disease and parasite challenges.

Betancor said: “The omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA are beneficial to human health, but they are in short supply. Fish and seafood – now increasingly supplied by the aquaculture sector – are the major sources of these omega-3 fatty acids. Our new study will test these novel oils as sources of omega-3 in feeds for farmed Atlantic salmon, focussing on their impacts on fish health.”