BioMar signs letter of intent with Yield10 Bioscience on development of fish oil subsititute

Aarhus, Denmark-based aquafeed firm BioMar has signed a letter of intent with Woburn, Massachusetts, U.S.A.-headquartered Yield10 Bioscience to commercialize a fish oil alternative derived from Camelina sativa, also commonly known as false flax or linseed dodder.

The two firms will work together to “commercialize a camelina crop containing enriched levels of EPA and DHA equal to fish oil.” BioMar characterized the partnership as “long term,” though it is a non-binding agreement.

“After a decade of research, this omega-3 camelina technology is now advancing toward market availability and has the potential to become another important, high-quality supplement to the scarce supply of marine long-chain fatty acids,” BioMar said.

BioMar CEO Carlos Diaz said the omega-3 camelina products under development through the partnership contain EPA and DHA at levels comparable to existing marine sources. He said the camelina product is a “complementary fit into the BioMar omega technology concept, together with other sources of essential omega-3s.”

“We believe that the Yield10 Omega-3 Camelina technology represents a potentially excellent solution for producing crop omega-3 oils at commercial scale,” he said. “Reliable and scalable sources of EPA and DHA are critical for aquafeeds to ensure the sustainable development of the aquaculture industry. We look forward to working together with the Yield10 team to make this product a commercial success.”

Yield10 Bioscience is an agricultural bioscience company that has used advanced genetics to develop camelina as a platform crop for large-scale production of sustainable seed products, including feedstock oils for renewable diesel and sustainable aviation biofuels; omega-3 (EPA and DHA+EPA) oils for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and aquafeed applications; and PHA bioplastics for use as biodegradable bioplastics. BioMar has been actively involved with the Yield10’s omega-3 camelina development effort since its inception in 2013 and has conducted many of the company’s salmon aquaculture trials.

“A partnership with BioMar has the potential to combine the strengths of both companies for the accelerated development of camelina produced omega-3 oils,” Yield10 Bioscience President and CEO Oliver Peoples said. “We look forward to working closely with BioMar to develop a collaborative program to bring this new source of high-quality EPA and EPA+DHA omega-3 oils to the market to strive to meet the aquaculture industry's growth demand and sustainability goals.”

Yield10 has been workingwith U.K.-based Rothamsted Research since 2020 to develop its camelina-derived omega-3 products. Peoples said his company is planning to scale up its planted acreage of camelina in Chile to supply BioMar enough product to expand its experimentation in formulation and testing. Yield10 will also push for regulatory approval for commercial production of omega-3 camelina oil and meal in “targeted production geographies.” The company has a global, exclusive license agreement for the technology.

“Yield10 and BioMar believe that the Omega-3 Camelina technology will play an important role in the future omega-3 market, enabling access to key nutrients from sustainable sources and paving the way for future growth within the aquaculture industry,” Peoples said. “Producing omega-3 oil in camelina represents a land-based way to make this key aquafeed ingredient.”

Diaz said BioMar “is focused on developing innovative and sustainable nutritional solutions that positively impact the needs of seafood producers.” Supplementing EPA- and DHA- rich fish oil derived from ocean-caught fish – primarily anchoveta harvests in Peru – is a priority for the company’s pursuit of this strategy, he said.

Photo courtesy of BioMar