Gertjan held various positions in DSM before joining the Strategy and Acquisitions unit. In this role, he identified omega-3 as an opportunity for DSM to expand its presence in nutritional ingredients. He was in charge of the acquisitions of both Martek (algal oil) and Ocean Nutrition (fish oil), after which he became DSM’s first Vice President – Nutritional Lipids. He was one of the initiators of Veramaris, before he moved on to other positions, including full responsibility of DSM’s portfolio of feed vitamins and premixes. In late 2022, Gertjan returned to the omega-3 space by stepping into the role of CEO of Veramaris. Over the last years, he guided Veramaris from a startup to being an established EPA/DHA algal oil supplier to the aquafeed, petfood and human nutrition industries.
You have a rich career in the industry. What initially led you to this field?
From the very beginning of my career, I have been fascinated by how innovation in nutrition can create a positive impact not only on human and animal health, but also on the planet. The idea that we can nourish animals and people while reducing pressure on natural resources has always been a strong motivator for me. Joining Veramaris was a natural step in that journey. It gave me the opportunity to combine my industry experience with a mission I feel deeply connected to – delivering essential nutrients like omega-3 EPA and DHA in a way that is scalable, sustainable and trusted.
Veramaris is well known for its algae-based omega-3 solution. How do you see this innovation shaping the sustainability of the aquaculture industry over the next decade?
By now, it has been generally accepted that marine-derived omega-3 EPA and DHA is the next bottleneck for aquaculture growth. Veramaris’ algae-based omega-3 plays a critical role in bridging this supply and demand gap in the aquaculture industry. As the industry continues to expand, there’s increasing pressure to secure reliable, high-quality sources of essential nutrients like EPA and DHA which are both vital for fish health, growth and the nutritional quality of seafood. By providing an alternative, scalable source of omega-3, we’re helping the industry achieve sustainable growth. It’s not about replacing fish oil, but rather complementing it and creating a more resilient supply chain that supports the nutritional needs of aquaculture today and into the future. This balanced approach enables the sector to grow responsibly.
What are the biggest challenges and opportunities in driving wider adoption of alternative omega-3 sources among fish feed producers and farmers?
We are ready to grow and increase the impact of our innovation. I think the opportunity is huge, and from a planetary health perspective its urgent. But to unlock this change, we still have to overcome some challenges which include the ‘least cost formulation’ mindset that still dominates aquafeed markets. This mindset unfortunately drives transactional behaviour which is the opposite to the strategic mindset that is needed to scale up new innovations.
It’s not all bad. Great progress was made during the last El Nino, and some industry leaders have shown their ongoing commitment to algae in their feed formulation even when fish oil prices have dropped. But too many others have unfortunately reverted to ‘least cost’ thinking, which doesn’t help. Perhaps we might have to live through another EPA & DHA supply crisis before we see lasting change in the purchasing mindset. That would be unfortunate, and I really hope it doesn’t happen that way. We are doing all we can to enable that change through forming partnerships and adapting our commercial model to help manage risk
To what extent has Veramaris’ products reduced reliance on fish oil derived from wild-caught fisheries, and what further potential do you see for easing pressure on marine ecosystems?
The El Nino event in 2023-24 provided an opportunity for Veramaris to prove its value as an alternative for fish oil and establish itself as a mainstream ingredient. Our estimate is that Veramaris oil has been used in more than 4 million tonnes of aquafeed globally, for salmonoids, seabass and shrimp. Many aquafeed producers were greatly helped at that time by having access to algae oil.
Rabobank recently predicted that more crises like this will come even more frequently and with greater impact. Our product has helped broaden the raw material basket for the aquaculture industry, limiting the risk that comes from sourcing fish oil and giving farmers and feed millers a real choice – the ability to select a sustainable and consistent omega-3 source that supports both performance and growth. By adding algae oil into the mix, we’re helping to reduce pressure on marine ecosystems while still giving fish and shrimp — and ultimately consumers — the essential nutrients they need. That’s a win for the planet, for producers and for the long-term resilience of the industry.
What are Veramaris’ plans for the future?
Expansion is absolutely part of our plan and vision, but it has to be built on a reliable and sustainable market foundation. To expand responsibly, we need to establish strategic long-term partnerships and ensure strong buy-in from stakeholders across the value chain.
Our goal is to create stability on both sides, we help de-risk our customers’ businesses by ensuring consistent volumes of algae oil at stable pricing, but at the same time we also need to de-risk our own business. That means having a reliable market that provides a stable demand and predictable volumes no matter the price of fish oil.
With that kind of market stability and partnership approach, we can confidently scale up and continue investing in innovation and capacity to meet the growing needs of the aquaculture industry.
