Aker BioMarine harnesses the nutritional power of krill

Almost one-in-ten people in the world do not get enough to eat. The fight against hunger focuses on sufficient energy intake – enough calories per person per day. But it is not the only factor that matters for a healthy diet. Sufficient proteins, fats and micronutrients are also essential.

“Feeding the world’s growing population increasingly demands resource-efficient, low-carbon food production systems. Moreover, there is a clear need to think beyond animal and land-based food in the food system. In the future, more food will need to be ‘blue’,” explains Skogrand.

Aker BioMarine supplies the world with krill, a tiny crustacean rich in protein and essential omega-3 fatty acids. The company covers the entire supply chain – from krill harvesting through product development to krill oil manufacturing.

The company sells its krill-based ingredients for use in aquaculture, animal feed and human nutritional supplements. Among its product lines are QRILL Aqua, QRILL Pet and SUPERBA Krill, a krill oil with essential omega-3 (EPA and DHA) and other nutrients shown to improve human health.

Read more: The power of the tiny krill

Aker BioMarine puts sustainable fishing front and centre. “The biomass of krill is so large that we regard it as a renewable food resource. When harvesting krill, we take less than 1 per cent from any given area,” states Skogrand.

The company’s Antarctic krill fishery has been certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council and has received an “A” rating from the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership.

To further optimise operations, Aker BioMarine has acquired the Mariner USV, an unmanned surface vessel. Delivered by Maritime Robotics, the six-metre-long vessel with sensors is used to search for krill and gather data for research and population mapping.

Read more: Ten years of monitoring data confirms big surplus of krill and a precautionary krill fishery in Antarctica

Simply explained, information such as weather data and satellite images indicate to the crew on board the fishing boats where there might be krill. Based on this, the USV is sent out to confirm if in fact the krill is there. If the USV confirms the presence of krill, fishing boats will be sent out.

“The drone saves us time searching for krill and, most importantly, helps us to avoid unnecessary emissions. The solar-powered drone runs uses 99 per cent less fuel than a large fishing boat,” says Skogrand.

The global Antarctic krill market, estimated at USD 1.6 billion in 2023, is projected to increase to USD 4.8 billion by 2033. In this regard, Aker BioMarine is a major player.

“We ship our products to customers worldwide. All of the big feed companies are on our customer list, and in terms of volume, the largest share goes to aquaculture. We see big business in krill oil as well,” says Skogrand.

Aker BioMarine won the prestigious Norwegian Export Award in 2024. The jury found that the company has established itself as the world’s leading exporter of a new raw material on the global market.