Sustainable fish farming through recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) offers a powerful solution to traditional aquaculture’s environmental challenges. These closed-loop systems conserve water, minimize pollution, and enable fish production closer to consumers. Finnforel’s innovative RAS technology produces fresh, healthy rainbow trout with minimal environmental impact while addressing growing global protein demands. Their complete value chain approach—from eggs to consumer-ready products—maximizes efficiency while prioritizing sustainability at every stage.
What makes recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) more sustainable than traditional fish farming?
Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) achieve sustainability through closed-loop water management that recycles up to 99.5% of water used. Unlike traditional fish farming in open nets or ponds, RAS facilities filter and treat water continuously, dramatically reducing water consumption and eliminating nutrient discharge into natural waterways. This controlled environment also eliminates the need for antibiotics and prevents fish escapes that could impact wild populations.
The controlled environment of RAS allows for precise management of all production parameters, including water quality, temperature, and oxygen levels. This optimization creates ideal growing conditions that improve fish health and welfare while maximizing growth rates and feed efficiency. Additionally, these systems can be located virtually anywhere, including near urban markets, reducing transportation distances and associated carbon emissions.
RAS technology represents a fundamental shift in aquaculture sustainability by addressing the core environmental challenges of traditional fish farming. By containing the entire production process, these systems prevent waste discharge, eliminate interaction with wild ecosystems, and provide complete traceability from egg to harvest. Discover how Finnforel is pioneering sustainable fish farming through advanced RAS technology that prioritizes both environmental protection and efficient production.
How does Finnforel maximize fish production yield in their RAS facilities?
Finnforel maximizes production yield through an integrated value chain approach that controls every aspect from egg to finished product. Their Varkaus Gigafactory produces approximately three million kilograms of rainbow trout annually in optimal conditions, with complete processing and packaging occurring on-site. This integration eliminates transportation between facilities, reduces handling stress on fish, and ensures maximum freshness and quality at every stage.
Their production system employs advanced technology that constantly monitors and adjusts water parameters to maintain ideal growing conditions. This precision management optimizes fish growth rates, improves feed conversion efficiency, and minimizes health issues. The company’s Hollola Breeding Centre further enhances productivity by developing genetic lines specifically suited for RAS environments, resulting in faster growth rates, better disease resistance, and improved feed conversion.
The Gigafactory concept represents a breakthrough in scaling sustainable aquaculture. By housing the entire production process under one roof, Finnforel eliminates inefficiencies between production stages and maximizes resource utilization. This approach has proven so successful that the company is expanding internationally, with projects like their feasibility study with ADQ to develop cutting-edge fish farming facilities in KEZAD, Abu Dhabi.
What environmental benefits does land-based rainbow trout farming provide?
Land-based rainbow trout farming virtually eliminates water pollution by preventing nutrient and waste discharge into natural ecosystems. In Finnforel’s RAS facilities, water is continuously filtered and recycled, resulting in minimal phosphorus emissions and zero nitrogen emissions—a stark contrast to traditional aquaculture operations that can cause significant nutrient loading in surrounding waters.
This farming method also eliminates any possibility of fish escapes that could potentially harm wild fish populations through competition or genetic mixing. Additionally, land-based systems require significantly less space than conventional fish farms while producing more fish per square meter, reducing overall land use impact. The controlled environment also eliminates the need for antibiotics and other treatments often used in open systems.
The location flexibility of land-based systems brings production closer to consumers, dramatically reducing transportation distances. This proximity allows Finnforel to deliver fresh fish to markets the same day it’s processed, minimizing carbon emissions from transportation while reducing food waste through extended shelf life. Their Gigafactory concept also embraces circular economy principles, with minimal waste generation and resource optimization throughout the production chain.
How do sustainable fish feeds contribute to reducing aquaculture’s environmental footprint?
Sustainable fish feeds reduce aquaculture’s environmental footprint by decreasing reliance on wild-caught fish ingredients and incorporating alternative protein sources. Traditional aquaculture feeds often contain significant amounts of fishmeal and fish oil derived from wild fish stocks, creating pressure on marine ecosystems. Sustainable feeds replace these with plant-based proteins, insect meals, and other innovative ingredients that maintain nutritional quality while reducing marine resource use.
Finnforel collaborates with Raisio’s Fenno Aqua for specialized feed development that meets the specific nutritional requirements of fish in RAS environments. These feeds are formulated to maximize digestibility and minimize waste, improving feed conversion efficiency while reducing nutrient discharge. This partnership focuses on developing ecological raw materials for fish feed that align with bio and circular economy principles.
Advanced feed formulations also contribute to improved fish health and growth rates, maximizing production efficiency. According to Tommi Mäkinen, Chief Technology Officer at Finnforel, the company is developing systems to utilize production side streams for feed ingredients, creating a more circular production model. Learn more about how Finnforel’s approach to sustainable feed management is transforming aquaculture practices while maintaining optimal fish nutrition and health.
What role does sustainable aquaculture play in global food security?
Sustainable aquaculture significantly contributes to global food security by providing a reliable protein source with minimal environmental impact. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), aquatic foods constitute 15 percent of the world’s animal protein intake, with consumption expected to increase by 12 percent by 2032. As wild fish stocks face increasing pressure, sustainable aquaculture becomes essential for meeting growing global protein demands.
RAS technology enables fish production in locations previously unsuitable for aquaculture, bringing production closer to consumption centers and reducing dependency on imports. This localization strengthens food supply resilience against disruptions in global supply chains and reduces the carbon footprint associated with long-distance transportation. Finnforel’s model demonstrates how sustainable aquaculture can provide fresh, nutritious protein while supporting local food systems.
In 2022, global aquaculture surpassed capture fisheries as the main producer of aquatic animals for the first time in history, reaching 94.4 million tons. This milestone highlights the growing importance of aquaculture in feeding the world’s population. Sustainable systems like Finnforel’s provide a model for how this growth can occur while minimizing environmental impact and supporting long-term food security goals.
How is Finnforel addressing carbon neutrality in fish production?
Finnforel addresses carbon neutrality through substantial investments in renewable energy, with their Varkaus facility featuring an extensive solar power plant that was recently expanded to over one megawatt capacity. At peak production, this solar array generates more than a third of the facility’s daily energy needs, significantly reducing dependence on traditional energy sources and lowering the carbon footprint of their operations.
The company optimizes energy efficiency throughout their production processes, leveraging advanced technologies to reduce overall energy consumption. Their integrated production model also minimizes transportation between facilities, further reducing emissions. By locating production facilities near consumer markets, they dramatically reduce the carbon footprint associated with product distribution compared to imported fish products.
Finnforel’s commitment to circular economy principles extends to waste management and resource utilization. Their “0 waste policy” aims to eliminate production waste through innovative approaches to byproduct utilization. This comprehensive approach to sustainability addresses carbon emissions throughout the entire value chain, from energy consumption to transportation and waste management. Contact Finnforel to learn more about their sustainable fish farming practices and how they’re working toward carbon-neutral production.
