The growing global demand for
Omega-3s
— essential fatty acids widely used in aquaculture, livestock feed, pet food and
human health products — is causing a crisis below the waves.
Omega-3s are predominantly sourced from wild-caught fish, but fish don’t
actually produce these fatty acids themselves — they accumulate them by eating
microalgae — so when we harvest fish for Omega-3s, we’re really after the
algae inside them. And when farmed fish are fed wild-caught forage fish to pass
Omega-3s up the chain, it creates an inefficient and extractive
system.
We’re catching fish to feed fish, all to access a nutrient we could have sourced
directly from the algae in the first place.
To meet rising global demand for farmed seafood, millions of tonnes of small
forage fish — such as anchovies and sardines — are harvested each year to
produce fishmeal and fish oil. In fact, around 17 million
tonnes
of wild fish are diverted annually into aquaculture feed — with over 70% of
global fishmeal and fish oil derived from forage fish.
But forage fish are far more than a feedstock. They play a vital ecological
role, forming the base of marine food webs and supporting everything from
seabirds and large fish to marine mammals and coastal economies. Their
extraction at industrial scale is already causing ripple effects — accelerating
species collapse, disrupting trophic systems and placing enormous strain on
marine biodiversity. One projection warns that demand for fishmeal and fish oil
could outpace the natural supply of forage fish by as early as
2037.
Partnering for impact in food supply chains
Join us on Monday, Oct. 13 for insights from ADM, Danone, Oatly and more into the latest approaches, partnerships and technologies driving both climate benefits and business value on the ground — at the 3rd annual SB Regenerative Ag Summit.
In countries including
Mauritania,
these effects are no longer theoretical. Sardinella, once a local dietary
staple, is now disappearing at alarming rates as these fish are increasingly
harvested, processed into fishmeal and oil, and shipped to feed aquaculture
systems and pet industries in wealthier nations. What remains are collapsing
fisheries, vanishing livelihoods and growing food insecurity in communities most
reliant on the sea.
In the whisky-soaked hills of Scotland, a biotech solution is brewing.
MiAlgae is turning nutrient-rich by-products from whisky
distillation into a sustainable feedstock for microalgae — microscopic,
photosynthetic organisms that are naturally rich in Omega-3s. This marine-free,
regenerative alternative helps protect
biodiversity,
relieves pressure on global fisheries; and builds a more equitable, circular
food system.
Through its proprietary platform, MiAlgae can produce fish-free Omega-3s and
potentially other ocean-derived resources — without touching the sea.
The company was founded in 2016 by Douglas
Martin,
who now serves as CEO. Alongside Technical Director Shreekanth
Ramananthan
and Technical Consultant Julian
Pietrzyk,
Martin co-invented MiAlgae’s patented solution — creating a system that grows
algae on waste streams, using renewable energy to power 30,000-liter
bioreactors. The result? Tonnes of Omega-3-rich algae that are dried and used to
feed farmed fish and pets, no ocean inputs required.
MiAlgae’s production sites are planned close to whisky distilleries, where
access to wastewater and energy efficiency are built into the design. It’s a
model of hyperlocal circularity that scales without compromise.
In 2024, MiAlgae was named a finalist in The Earthshot Prize’s Revive Our
Oceans category. Founded
by Prince William, the Earthshot Prize awards the most promising
solutions
to the planet’s greatest environmental challenges.
“Prince William asked me if I’d come up with the idea over a lovely dram of
whisky,” Martin tells Sustainable Brands® (SB). “The real story is more
focused. Our early team was searching for [plentiful] waste streams that the
Omega-3 algae would eat. This drive toward circularity was aimed at ultimately
reducing both the impact on the world and to reduce the manufacturing costs of
the algae. The team ran thousands of experiments with dozens of wastes and
whisky by-products were the winner.”
Scotland’s whisky industry turned out to be the perfect partner. Whisky
production produces vast volumes of nutrient-rich liquid waste, a costly but
conventional problem. Distillers including
Dewar’s,
Glenfiddich
and
Tullibardine
have already seized the circular opportunity to turn their spent grain into
clean fuel; but it remains wasted by the majority of the industry. MiAlgae is
excited to scale its use as a biological solution.
“For every liter of whisky produced there are approximately 15L of by-products
that — lucky for us — are rich in all the lovely nutrients that our algae loves
to eat, so it was a bit of a no-brainer,” Martin adds.
MiAlgae’s approach stands out in the algae-based Omega-3 market, thanks to its
use of waste as a primary input and reduced reliance on virgin resources.
MiAlgae’s in-house bioreactor design has also been a key differentiator,
allowing the company to keep costs low while boosting output.
“Our in-house bioreactor design further enhances scalability by significantly
lowering capital expenditure while maintaining high production output,” he adds.
“By prioritizing local production, we also minimize the carbon footprint
associated with global transportation.”
MiAlgae’s next chapter is all about scale and impact. After years of perfecting
its biotech platform and proving the potential of circular algae production, the
company is now on the brink of a major scale-up. MiAlgae has submitted plans for
a new production facility which marks a turning point in the company’s evolution
from pilot project to global climate-tech player.
Designed to operate near whisky distilleries and powered by renewable energy,
the new site will dramatically increase production capacity. Once at full speed,
it will allow MiAlgae to grow and harvest enough algae to reach its goal to
produce 53,000 tonnes of Omega-3 annually — a quantity that could replace up to
10% of the global demand for fish oil.
To do this, MiAlgae will need to upcycle an estimated 639 million liters of
whisky by-products — preventing an equivalent of 2.1 million tonnes of CO₂
emissions and replacing more than 1.6 million tonnes of wild fish currently
extracted from the sea for oil production.
“This plant will be the first of many production sites we have in the plan,”
Martin says. “Our goal is to end reliance on the oceans; and for us, this is the
first big step in that direction. Once our first production site is up and
running efficiently, we have a highly ambitious growth plan that we will execute
against. The new production site will increase our production by 60x.”
Additionally, this new facility will also help MiAlgae meet the growing appetite
for sustainable Omega-3s in sectors that urgently need alternatives — namely,
aquaculture and pet food — while opening the door to applications in other
high-demand markets.
“We are also exploring new markets including meat alternatives, nutraceuticals
and livestock feed — sectors with significant global demand,” Martin adds. “Each
of these industries is facing the same challenge: how to grow without extracting
more from the planet. Our solution is uniquely positioned to help.”
While performance trials are ongoing, MiAlgae is already confident in the value
in its algae-derived Omega-3s. The company is conducting trials to demonstrate
the performance benefits of its product but says the sustainability and supply
chain advantages are already clear.
“By producing Omega-3s directly from microalgae, using nutrient-rich by-products
from the whisky industry, we offer a solution that is significantly more
sustainable than many other algae-derived alternatives,” Martin explains. “Our
process reduces reliance on wild-caught fish while also delivering a stable,
traceable and scalable ingredient supply,” he says. “Unlike traditional sources,
our production is not vulnerable to external disruptions like climate events or
geopolitical instability — giving customers greater consistency and peace of
mind. Our view is that sustainability is and should be the gate keeper for any
product development; sustainability and performance must work hand-in-hand.”
For MiAlgae’s technology, partnerships aren’t just a growth strategy — they’re a
structural necessity. Unlocking circular solutions at scale requires deep
collaboration across industries — from waste generators to end users, and from
regulators to innovators.
In 2024, MiAlgae announced a groundbreaking partnership with Eden
Mill, a Scottish distillery committed to
sustainability. The collaboration has MiAlgae using effluent wastewater from
Eden Mill’s distillation process to grow Omega-3-rich microalgae.
“We are very proud of our ongoing collaboration with MiAlgae, which has seen
them regularly collect our effluent wastewater since our distillery became
operational in April,” Eden Mill CEO Rennie
Donaldson tells SB.
“The results of this partnership will have far-reaching benefits, ensuring a
reliable source of ethical Omega-3s whilst upcycling by-products to return clean
water to the watercourse.”
For MiAlgae, the partnership has also helped validate the platform’s real-world
viability and built credibility with larger commercial players.
“Strategic partnerships have been instrumental in bringing our product to
market,” Martin says. “We’ve established collaborations with industry leaders in
aquaculture and pet food, who are eager for sustainable Omega-3 alternatives.
Whilst we can’t disclose specifics at this stage, these partnerships are driving
innovation and ensuring a smooth path to commercialization.”
As MiAlgae expands into new geographies, the company is tailoring its model to
local feedstocks and waste streams — rather than trying to ship a
one-size-fits-all solution across the globe.
“Whisky by-products provide an abundant and reliable resource, with billions of
liters available each year — which will allow us to scale significantly within
Europe,” Martin explains. “As we expand internationally, we plan to adapt our
approach by using locally sourced by-products in each region. This will support
a decentralized, local production model — reducing the need for long-distance
shipping and making our process even more sustainable.”
Whether it’s a Scottish distillery or an international aquafeed brand, every
partnership moves MiAlgae closer to its mission: transforming waste into a
reliable, circular resource for the future of food.
With demand for sustainable Omega-3s rising across continents and sectors,
MiAlgae sees its platform as a catalyst for transforming how we produce food,
manage waste and protect marine ecosystems. Performance trials are currently
underway, evaluating the full nutritional and functional potential of MiAlgae’s
Omega-3 across species.
“Right now, we’re focused on … aquaculture and pet nutrition; but as we look to
reduce our reliance on the ocean, we will certainly consider a direct-to-human
approach,” Martin says. “That will come with time, regulation and the right
partnerships.”
Looking five years ahead, the goal is not just to scale or replace fish oil:
It’s to embed a circular logic into food production — one that turns waste into
opportunity, that decouples nutrition from extraction, and that gives ocean
ecosystems and the communities who depend on them a chance to recover.
“We are committed to using biotechnology to reduce the over-reliance on our
oceans. We’re very open to working with innovators and partners in the space and
believe we can achieve more together,” Martin asserts. “We hope that this
openness to collaborate will allow us to expand our positive impact on the
oceans.”
Get the latest insights, trends, and innovations to help position yourself at the forefront of sustainable business leadership—delivered straight to your inbox.
Scarlett Buckley
Scarlett Buckley is a London-based freelance sustainability writer with an MSc in Creative Arts & Mental Health.
Published Sep 19, 2025 8am EDT / 5am PDT / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST
