NRGene Canada and Île-à-la-Crosse Fish Company Report Omega-3-Enriched Black Soldier Fly Larvae from Fish By-Products

NRGene Canada and Île-à-la-Crosse Fish Company Inc. announced on 16 September 2026 that they have validated a dedicated black soldier fly (BSF) feed recipe built around local fish-processing by-products at semi-industrial scale, producing MaxBSF™ larvae rich in marine omega-3 fatty acids.

The trial, conducted at the North American Insect Center (NAIC) in Saskatoon, processed 0.3 metric tons of feed containing 50 percent fish-processing by-products and produced approximately 90 kilograms of MaxBSF™ larvae, achieving a wet feed conversion ratio of approximately 3.3. The grow cycle ran to completion in eleven days, comprising a five-day nursery stage and a six-day grow-out phase.

Laboratory analysis by Prairie Tide Diversified Inc., described by the companies as a CALA-accredited laboratory in Saskatoon, found that larvae reared on the fish-based feed contained 5.16% to 7.94% total omega-3 as a share of total fatty acids, compared with 1.12% in larvae of the same genetics reared on standard feed. The marine omega-3s EPA (1.14% to 1.89%) and DHA (0.37% to 0.65%) were detected in the fish-fed larvae and not detected in the standard-feed larvae. The omega-6 to omega-3 ratio in the fish-fed larvae fell to as low as 1.2:1, compared with 12.8:1 in the control group.

"These results matter because conventional BSF larvae generally contain very limited levels of EPA and DHA," said Dr. Ben Gradus, Director of Product, BSF at NRGene Canada. "By incorporating fish-processing by-products into the feed, we can produce MaxBSF™ larvae that combine insect protein with valuable marine omega-3 fatty acids."

The companies said the collaboration, first announced in January 2025, was designed to convert a regional by-product with limited economic use into a nutritious feed supplement for poultry. According to the announcement, the enriched larvae could support higher omega-3 content in eggs when fed to laying hens, though no independent feeding trial data were cited in the release.

Yossi Levi, Chief Business Officer of NRGene Canada, said the trial demonstrated commercial viability. "We set out to demonstrate that a difficult waste stream could be converted efficiently and consistently at a commercially meaningful scale," Levi said. "The run confirmed the process scales, and the economics hold up."

The next phase of the project involves establishing an on-site BSF rearing facility in Île-à-la-Crosse, Saskatchewan, sized to the volume of by-products generated in the region. NRGene Canada said neonates for the facility would be supplied by FairGene, a joint venture between NRGene Canada and Fairville Farming Co. in Bassano, Alberta, which began producing BSF eggs in July 2026. The company described this arrangement as its hub-and-spoke model, pairing centralised egg and neonate production with regional rearing sites close to local by-product streams.

"This is a scalable model, not a one-time project," Levi said. "We take a local organic by-product, develop a dedicated feed, supply high-quality neonates from a central egg facility and establish the rearing operation close to the feedstock. Many regional by-product streams could benefit from the same approach."

Tyler Morin, CEO of Île-à-la-Crosse Fish Company, said the partnership aligned with the community's values. "Our community is proud to be at the forefront of this innovative work," Morin said. "This partnership reflects our cultural values of sustainability and way of life. Processing our by-products locally means more of the jobs, knowledge and value stay in Ile-a-la-Crosse."

Île-à-la-Crosse Fish Company is jointly owned by Sakitawak Development Corporation and Big Island Fishermen's Cooperative. NRGene Canada is based in Saskatchewan and uses AI-driven genomics and data-driven breeding to develop its MaxBSF™ strains, which it describes as using natural genetics without GMO, gene editing or CRISPR.