If you take omega-3 supplements for your heart, brain, or joints, you have more choices than the pharmacy shelf might suggest. Fish oil and krill oil dominate the display stands, but neither is the original source of those omega-3s — and understanding where these fatty acids actually come from opens up a more sustainable, and in many cases better-evidenced, path to getting them.
The Omega-3 origin story: it starts with plants
This is the fact the supplement industry would prefer you not linger on: fish don’t make omega-3s. Krill don’t make omega-3s. No animal does.
The EPA and DHA in every fish oil capsule, every krill oil softgel, and every tin of salmon on the shelf originated in microscopic marine plants — phytoplankton and microalgae — at the very bottom of the ocean food chain. Small fish eat the algae; larger fish eat the small fish; krill graze directly on phytoplankton; and humans have historically harvested those animals to access the omega-3s that started their journey in a single-celled plant.
This is not a fringe claim — it is basic marine biology, and it has a straightforward implication: if you want omega-3s, you can go directly to the source. No fishing, no Antarctic supertrawlers, no ecological cost.
Algal oil: the direct alternative to fish oil
For people who currently take standard fish oil omega-3 supplements, algal oil is the cleanest available alternative. It is derived from the same microalgae that sit at the base of the marine food web, grown in controlled fermentation conditions on land, and provides EPA and DHA in forms the body readily absorbs.
The science supports the switch. A 2025 randomised double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial published in the *International Journal of Molecular Sciences* found that the bioavailability of DHA and EPA from microalgal oil supplements was statistically non-inferior to fish oil. Research published in reviews of omega-3 sources has consistently found that algal-sourced DHA and EPA provide comparable health benefits to fish-derived sources. A study cited by Life Extension found that DHA from algae capsules appears to be bioequivalent to cooked salmon in providing DHA to plasma and red blood cells.
Algal oil has several additional advantages over fish oil. It contains no marine contaminants such as mercury or PCBs, which can accumulate up the food chain. It produces no fishy aftertaste. And because it is grown in bioreactors under controlled conditions rather than extracted from wild-caught marine animals, its production does not place any additional pressure on ocean ecosystems.
For consumers, algal oil is now widely available. It is the omega-3 of choice for vegans and vegetarians who have long had no alternative to fish-derived products, and it is increasingly mainstream.
Phytoplankton oil: the closest alternative to krill oil
The case for krill oil rests partly on the argument that its omega-3s are delivered in phospholipid form, which some research has suggested may improve absorption compared to the triglyceride form found in standard fish oil. This distinction is central to krill oil marketing — and it has led some consumers to conclude that krill oil is categorically superior.
What is rarely acknowledged in those marketing materials is that phytoplankton — the microscopic marine plant that krill eat — also contains omega-3s in phospholipid-rich forms. Marine phytoplankton oil offers a plant-derived, phospholipid-containing omega-3 source that more closely mirrors the composition of krill oil than standard fish oil does. It is the actual upstream source of the compounds that make krill oil distinctive.
It is worth noting that the claimed absorption advantage of krill oil over fish oil is itself contested by the peer-reviewed literature. A randomised clinical trial published in *PLOS ONE* found that plasma EPA and DHA levels achieved with fish oil and krill oil were not significantly different when equivalent doses were compared. The distinction the industry promotes as krill oil’s defining feature is, at minimum, not settled science.
For Australian consumers, a locally produced phytoplankton option is already available. Phytality is an Australian company growing marine phytoplankton domestically in enclosed, controlled facilities and producing both phytoplankton powder and a clean algal oil from it — entirely without ocean extraction. Their ULTANA™ phytoplankton product combines EPA and DHA omega-3s in phospholipid and glycolipid form, alongside over 75 nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and B12, in a whole-plant powder. Their Clean Omega-3 range offers a high-DHA algal oil extracted using a water and enzyme-based process, with no chemical solvents. Both products are vegan, free from heavy metals and oxidation, and — critically — their entire supply chain from cultivation to capsule causes no disruption to any wild marine environment.
Phytality’s founder spent over fifteen years working with European marine biologists and biotechnologists to develop closed-system phytoplankton cultivation technology, and has brought that expertise home to establish sustainable phytoplankton production in Australia. The contrast with industrial Antarctic krill fishing — supertrawlers operating in some of the world’s most ecologically sensitive waters, competing directly with recovering whale populations for food — could hardly be more stark. This is what a genuinely ocean-neutral omega-3 supply chain looks like.
Revervia: the krill company’s own admission
The story of Revervia says something important about the direction of travel in the omega-3 industry.
Revervia is an algae-derived omega-3 supplement launched in 2025 by Aker BioMarine — the Norwegian company responsible for catching 64 percent of all krill harvested from the Southern Ocean, and the world’s dominant krill oil producer. Revervia is derived from microalgae (*Schizochytrium sp.*), contains up to 60 percent DHA — described by the company as the highest natural algal DHA concentration on the market — and is marketed to vegan and environmentally conscious consumers as a clean, sustainable, and plant-forward omega-3.
This is the same company whose supertrawlers have been documented operating inside proposed marine protected areas among feeding whale pods. The same company whose krill fishery had its MSC sustainability certification formally contested by WWF and the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition in March 2026. The same company that took over fifteen years to turn a profit on krill oil.
When the world’s largest krill harvesting company invests in developing and globally distributing a plant-based alternative to its own product, this is not simply product diversification. It is a signal — about market sentiment, regulatory risk, social licence, and the long-term viability of industrial Antarctic krill fishing — that consumers and retailers alike are entitled to read clearly.
Aker BioMarine’s own sustainability page frames Revervia as evidence of its belief that “sustainability requires diversifying how humanity meets its nutritional needs.” This framing acknowledges, implicitly, that krill oil alone is not a sustainable answer to the world’s omega-3 requirements.
Blackmores: the contradictory product range
Blackmores is Australia’s most prominent natural health brand, with deep retail presence across the country and a longstanding public identity built around health and environmental responsibility. The company has also partnered with WWF in the past on sustainable seafood commitments.
Today, Blackmores sells two omega-3 supplement lines that sit in direct contradiction with one another.
Its Plant-Based Omega Mini is a vegan-certified, algal oil-derived omega-3 supplement available in Chemist Warehouse, Woolworths, and pharmacies nationwide. According to Blackmores’ own product information, it is “a high-quality, vegan, vegetarian and fish-free source of omega-3” containing DHA and EPA from *Schizochytrium* algal oil, and delivers 315mg of total omega-3s per capsule — more than the EPA and DHA content in a standard Blackmores Fish Oil 1000 capsule.
Alongside it on the shelf sits Blackmores Krill Oil Mini, sourced from Antarctic krill and marketed as coming from “a certified sustainable fishery.” That certification is the MSC label — the same label that WWF has now formally contested, stating publicly that the mismanagement of the krill fishery is having major negative impacts on species including humpback whales.
Blackmores already has the product that makes krill oil unnecessary. Its Plant-Based Omega Mini delivers comparable omega-3 content in a sustainable, scalable, ocean-neutral form. The continued sale of krill oil alongside it is a choice, not a necessity — and it is a choice that sits increasingly uncomfortably alongside the scientific consensus building around the Southern Ocean and the formal actions being taken by the organisations Blackmores itself has previously partnered with.
Major European retailers dm-drogerie markt and Holland & Barrett have already exited the krill oil category entirely. The logic that drove those decisions — that a sustainable, effective alternative exists, and that selling the environmentally damaging option alongside it is no longer defensible — applies equally to Blackmores. As Australia’s leading natural health company, it is well-positioned to lead rather than follow on this issue.
What should you choose?
If you currently take fish oil for general omega-3 health benefits — heart, brain, cognitive function — algal oil is the evidence-based alternative. A 2025 clinical trial confirmed comparable bioavailability of DHA and EPA from microalgal oil versus fish oil. Products are widely available, including Blackmores’ own Plant-Based Omega Mini. You get the same EPA and DHA, without any fish.
If you currently take krill oil and are drawn to the phospholipid delivery argument — phytoplankton oil is the direct plant-based equivalent, with no Antarctic ecological footprint. Australian brand Phytality grows phytoplankton locally in enclosed facilities and produces both a whole-food phytoplankton powder and a clean algal oil capsule, available online and through health food retailers across Australia. For those outside Australia, Aker BioMarine’s own Revervia algal oil is available through European distributors — with the notable irony that the sustainable alternative is being sold by the company most responsible for the problem it solves.
In either case, the science does not support a premium for krill oil over either fish oil or algal oil that justifies its continued extraction from one of the world’s most ecologically sensitive and scientifically documented ecosystems.
The omega-3s you need were always in the plants. They still are.
References
- Bailey, E. et al. “Comparative Bioavailability of DHA and EPA from Microalgal and Fish Oil in Adults.” *International Journal of Molecular Sciences* 26(19), 2025. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12524788/)
- Raatz, S.K. et al. “Similar eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid plasma levels achieved with fish oil or krill oil in a randomized double-blind four-week bioavailability study.” *PLOS ONE*, 2015. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4557744/)
- ScienceDirect. “A review on algal oils as a sustainable source of essential omega-3 fatty acids.” 2025. [sciencedirect.com](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2589014X25001367)
- NCBl. “Omega-3 Source Matters: Comparative Lipid Signatures and Quantitative Distribution of EPA/DHA Across Marine Resources.” *PMC*, 2025. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12843360/)
- Life Extension. “Algae Oil vs. Fish Oil: What’s the Difference?” [lifeextension.com](https://www.lifeextension.com/wellness/superfoods/algae-oil-vs-fish-oil)
- Blackmores. Plant-Based Omega Mini. [blackmores.com.au](https://www.blackmores.com.au/products/Plant-Based-Omega-Mini)
- Blackmores. Krill Oil Mini. [blackmores.com.au](https://www.blackmores.com.au/products/krill-oil-mini)
- Revervia by Aker BioMarine. [revervia.com](https://revervia.com)
- Phytality. ULTANA™ Phytoplankton Omega & Multi. [phytality.com.au](https://phytality.com.au/shop/ultana-phytoplankton-powder-60g)
- Phytality. Clean Omega-3 DHA Capsules. [phytality.com.au](https://phytality.com.au/products/clean-omega-3-capsules-x-60-500mg)
- Phytality. Innovation & Science. [phytality.com.au](https://phytality.com.au/pages/innovation-science)
- Nutraceutical Business Review. “Aker BioMarine launches high-potency DHA ingredient, Revervia.” April 2025. [nutraceuticalbusinessreview.com](https://www.nutraceuticalbusinessreview.com/aker-biomarine-revervia-launch-algae-dha-ingredient)
- Aker BioMarine Sustainability Page. [akerbiomarine.com](https://www.akerbiomarine.com/sustainability)
- WWF Whales Initiative. “Mismanagement of Antarctic krill fishery putting whales at risk.” 6 March 2026. [wwfwhales.org](https://wwfwhales.org/news-stories/mismanagement-of-antarctic-krill-fishery-putting-whales-at-risk)
- Sea Shepherd Australia. “dm, Europe’s Largest Drugstore Retailer, Drops All Krill Products.” 21 March 2026. [seashepherd.org.au](https://www.seashepherd.org.au/latest-news/dm-drops-krill/)
- Wikipedia. “Aker BioMarine.” [en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aker_BioMarine)
- Tharos. *How Krill Oil Reached Our Lives*. January 2025. [aquafeed.com](https://www.aquafeed.com/newsroom/reports/tharos-releases-report-tracing-krill-oils-shift-from-aquafeed-to-human-nutrition/)
