A Co Galway based seaweed business has raised €1.4m from private investors and is on the cusp of a deal that could potentially lead to a five fold production increase through this investment . Based in Milltown, Ocean Harvest Technology was founded in 2005 by Dr. Stefan Kraan and Patrick Martin, Ocean Harvest Technology (OHT ) has grown from a single headquarters in Galway, to having a strong presence in North America, Asia, Europe and Australia.
Ocean Harvest Technology have created a variety of patented seaweed based formulas centred on the bioactive ingredients present in different seaweeds. In Ireland there is just one type of seaweed, so in order to provide a range of natural solutions to enhance the health of the animals, environment and the customer, Ocean Harvest Technology has a base in Vietnam where they combine many different seaweed types. These ingredients allow its feeds to replace many of the synthetic components found in a diversity of agricultural and aquacultural feed ingredients.
Ocean Harvest Technology is in its early stages as a company but already has a significant position in the global feed sectors of Salmon, Shrimp and Swine. After significant R&D, OceanFeed™ is now being commercialised in equine, bovine, sheep and pet varieties.
“We are the first company to identify and apply the health and productivity benefits of a mixed and cultivated algae product to the animal feed industry. Ocean Harvest Technology is a Feed Materials Assurance Scheme (FEMAS ) certified company, assuring the feeds produced satisfy the controls applied to animal feed production with regard to quality assurance, traceability and the raw materials used in their creation.
“We believe in sustainable farming and creating improved opportunities for farmers, animals and our planet. Our seaweed based animal feeds allow farmers to grow healthier animals, improve working conditions, reduce costs and take better care of the environment. Our customers see the benefits of our animal feeds up close by witnessing improved mortality rates in their animals, increased profit and better opportunities while protecting the environment.
“Many farming methods such as some forms of Aquaculture can have a significant ecological impact. One practice includes the feeding of fish oil or fish meal which long term can do more damage to fish populations than traditional fishing. Using Oceanfeed allows farmers to replace fish oil with plant oils but still get the same levels of omega 3 oils in the fish. Using Algae based feeds around the world would be a meaningful step in building a sustainable aquaculture industry,” said Stefan.
