As genetic modification goes it is a simple marriage of oil-rich marine algae and the easily grown canola seed crop, but its implications for global aquaculture are immense.
Most farmed fish species such as salmon, barramundi and kingfish need to eat fish to contain the sort of long-chain fatty acids which make them essential for a healthy human diet.
Aquaculture is the fastest-growing protein production sector in the food industry and already accounts for half of the fish consumed globally. By 2050 an additional 70 million tonnes will be required at the same time as wild caught stocks are predicted to be in severe decline.
The so-called Omega 3 Project is part of the CSIRO's Food Futures Flagship, which aims to add up to $3 billion to Australia's agrifood sector through frontier technology such as plant science.
Team member James Petrie says the next phase of its work will be to replicate its success with canola in a large-scale on-farm trial.
"We've got proof of concept, so what that means is we have proven a canola plant or a flax plant - an oil plant - is actually capable of making these long-chain omega 3 oils in the seed and building them up to relatively good levels," he said.
"What we've got to do now is take it out of the lab and onto the farm."
THIS IS GREAT NEWS. THE GREEN REVOLUTION SAVED A BILLION LIVES.
THE GM FOOD REVOLUTION WILL DO EVEN MORE GOOD - IF THE LEFT DOESN'T STOP IT. (EUROPE'S LEFT HAS SUCCESSFULLY KEPT FARMERS FROM GROWING GM FOOD - UNTIL NOW.)
AND AQUACULTURE WHICH CAN PROVIDE BOTH INCREDIBLY NUTRITIOUS FOOD AND ENERGY MIGHT BE THE KEY TO OUR FUTURE HEALTH AND PROSPERITY.
THIS PROVES - ONCE AGAIN - WE WILL INNOVATE OUR WAY INTO GREATER PROSPERITY - NOT REDISTRIBUTE OUR WAY TO IT.
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