Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 1

Fish processing creates waste products that are often sent to landfill, which in turn squanders nutrients,negatively impacts the environment and results in waste disposal costs. However, with the addition of acids,typically formic acid, or fermentation with lactic acid bacteria, liquefied fish waste products can easily andeconomically be turned into a functional product: fish silage. Similarly to fish meal, fish silage can be used as afeed for ruminants, pigs, and poultry; this protein supplementation can improve milk yield and milk proteincontent, improve body weight gain in young animals, and increase levels of omega-3 fatty acids insubcutaneous fat. Fish silage has also been determined to be appropriate for use in a balanced fish diet. It canalso be used as a fertilizer for crops. Fish oil can also be extracted from fish silage, ideally throughcentrifugation, for use in nutritional supplements.This project will take the fish waste from an aquaculture facility in Whitehorse, Yukon, that grows arctic charrfor the commercial market, and after the addition of formic acid will analyse if arctic charr waste material canbe beneficial as an agricultural supplement. It will also test the properties of this product after storage insub-arctic conditions to determine if freezing has a detrimental effect on this product.