CAMELINA - PRODCING A SUSTAINABLE HIGH OMEGA SOURCE FOR AUQAFEEDS IN WESTERN CANADA

The future of the aquaculture industry will depend on the use of environmentally sustainable ingredients that offer health and nutritional benefits to the fish. Extensive lipid and fatty acid analysis suggest that fish consuming a diet with camelina oil produce the same nutritional benefits as fish that consume a diet containing fish oil, in terms of the fillet fatty acid composition. Camelina's biochemical composition is unique compared to other terrestrial plant oils currently used in aquafeeds.  The oil is high in omega-3 (ω3) fatty acids (35%), and contains lower levels of ω6 fatty acids (25%) and ω9 fatty acids (15%), with a ω3/ω6 ratio >1. This makes camelina a superior fat source for fish in comparison to other well-known plant oils such as soy and canola oil.  It can be sustainably produced on marginal lands in Western Canada at large scale and complements existing crop rotations.  Data will be presented showing that the yields are competitive with canola yet camelina requires 30% less nitrogen fertilizer and half the water. Camelina is also resistant to many of the diseases and pests currently problematic in Canola including blackleg, alternaria and flea beetle.