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A trail aiming to provide a more sustainable source of omega-3 for both fish and humans is nearing completion.

The groundbreaking research is aiming to produce genetically modified (GM) crops that are high in the oil usually found in oily fish, such as mackerel.

The crops could help to alleviate pressure on the growing problem of strained fish stocks around the world and provide a more efficient source of omega-3. 

A trial in Hertfordshire was genetically modified crops to produce Omega-3 (shown). It is the first time plants grown outside have been made to produce fish oil

The trial is the first of its kind designed to provide a more sustainable source of omega-3.

Taking place at Rothamsted Research in Hertfordshire the scientists have been growing a plant known as Camelina sativa that was genetically modified to produce long chain omega-3 fatty acids.

These have proven health benefits for humans, but the methods through which they are currently obtained are unsustainable.

The field trial gained approval in April from the UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

The experiment is important because it provides an alternative source of omega-3 .

Fish gain their omega-3 from marine algae in the ocean but, when they are grown in fish farms, they need to be fed other fish in order to gain access to the oil.

But fish docks around the world are in decline, with 80 per cent of fish taken from the ocean used in fish farming.

'What we were trying to do was provide a sustainable source of fish oils,' explains the lead scientist on the trial Professor Johnatahn Napier to MailOnline.

'Everybody knows that fish oils are a real benefit for human health and nutrition, I think the evidence for that is really clear.'

The Camelina sativa crops will be harvested at the end of the month to see how they have done. They could provide a more sustainable source of Omega-3 in the future

Professor Napier explains how they have been working on this for more than a decade, but this particular trial only began earlier this year.

Previously plants have been genetically modified to produce omega-3 but only in enclosed greenhouses.

This trial was the first of its kind outdoors that could mean plants are grown in regular fields in future to produce omega-3.

The team hopes to harvest this batch of crops by the end of this month, depending on the weather, and they will then analyse the seeds to see how well they've performed.

They will be hoping that the oil content is the same that they have seen in greenhouses, which would mean 'this omega-3 trait could be stable in the field and could be used as a plant-based source of fish' according to Professor Napier.

He explains that one of the primary benefits of the research is that it will provide an alternative fish oil for fish farming, but he also imagines such crops could one day be sold to consumers on shop shelves.

And if it does prove successful, he expects these GM crops could be widely grown in North America and Canada.

'We're trying to provide a solution to a global problem so where you grow it isn't too problematic,' he adds.

Omega-3 has been shown to have various health benefits but access to it is difficult as it is usually only found in fish oil. 80 per cent of fish taken from the ocean (stock image shown) are used in fish farming

This particular trial hasn't experienced some of the protests that accompanied previous trials at the field, which required increased security measures, but there has still been some opposition.

Louise Payton, Soil Association policy officer commented: 'These GM plants have had more genetic modification done to them than most other GM plants that you see out there - this potentially increases the risks that the tweaking of genes has resulted in unintended adverse effects. 

'And field trials always run the risk of plants or seeds escaping, making this GM experiment very risky.

'There are examples to prove this. For example only last year, an Oregon farmer found GM wheat contaminating their field - wheat that had only ever been grown in US experimental field trials (and therefore not approved for sale). 

'How this contamination occurred still remains a mystery - particularly as the field trials had been stopped 12 years ago. 

'And a few years ago, US farmers found all their long-grain rice was contaminated by a GM rice strain never authorised for commercial growing, resulting in farmers losing millions of dollars' worth of sales.'

And Liz O'Neill, Director of GM Freeze, told MailOnline: 'Professor Napier tells us that this is the most sophisticated GM experiment anywhere in the world but the genes were added using the old-school agrobacterium technique which is more "pick up and chuck in vaguely the right direction" than "cut and paste" so there's plenty of cause for concern.

''One also has to wonder why we are investing public money in such a high-tech option when conventional plant breeding programmes have produced two crops with similar qualities.'

However, Professor Napier counters: 'Agrobacterium is a natural bacteria, it's nature's genetic engineer. I can't see why it's a bad thing.

'This research is all about providing solutions to a problem.

'If you point out problems, you need to provide solutions.'