NRGene Canada Produces Omega-3-Rich Black Soldier Fly Larvae from Fish-Processing By-Products in Saskatchewan Partnership

NRGene Canada and Ile-a-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 containing the marine omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA.

The two companies first announced their collaboration in January 2025, with the stated goal of converting a regional fish-processing by-product stream into a higher-value nutritional input for poultry feed. According to the companies' announcement, the semi-industrial trial was conducted at the North American Insect Center (NAIC) in Saskatoon. The trial run 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 production cycle comprised a five-day nursery stage followed by a six-day grow-out, totalling eleven days.

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

"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."

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

The companies said the enhanced larvae could serve as the basis for an omega-3-enriched version of MaxBites™, NRGene Canada's dried BSF larvae product for animal feed, positioned as a higher-value poultry supplement with the potential to support increased omega-3 levels in chickens and their eggs. The companies note this application remains potential and has not been established in final commercial use.

With the feed recipe validated, the partners said they are planning an on-site BSF rearing facility in Ile-a-la-Crosse, SK, sized to the volume of by-products generated locally. NRGene Canada said neonates for the planned 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 companies described the planned facility as an example of NRGene Canada's hub-and-spoke model, pairing centralised egg and neonate production with regional rearing sites located near local by-product streams.

Tyler Morin, CEO of Ile-a-la-Crosse Fish Company, said: "Our community is proud to be at the forefront of this innovative work. 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."

Ile-a-la-Crosse Fish Company is jointly owned by Sakitawak Development Corporation and Big Island Fishermen's Cooperative. NRGene Canada is based in Saskatchewan and states it develops elite MaxBSF™ strains through AI-driven genomics and data-driven breeding, using natural genetics without GMO, gene editing, or CRISPR.