This Scottish startup saves wild fish by replacing them with Omega-3 algae fed on whisky waste

A Scottish startup, MiAlgae, says it can reduce pressure on wild fish by replacing fish oil and fish meal with omega-3-rich algae grown using whisky distillery waste. Founder and CEO Douglas Martin told Euronews Earth that aquaculture—already the largest source of fish for human consumption—relies on omega-3 that mostly comes from fish oil extracted from wild-caught fish. With ocean catch limits reached, expanding farmed fish can worsen strain on wild stocks. MiAlgae instead grows algae that naturally produce omega-3, feeding them liquid byproducts from Scotch whisky production. The company harvests algae biomass from large stainless-steel tanks and sells dried algae as a drop-in ingredient for aquafeed and pet food, with pets as its main market for now. MiAlgae is building its first commercial site targeting thousands of tonnes per year.