Project description
Circular economy solutions for freshwater aquaculture
Freshwater aquaculture systems (FWASs) make sense, but raising and breeding fish, shrimp and other aquatic animals in ponds, lakes, rivers and inland waterways is not always easy. FWASs are under pressure to maintain economic viability and adapt to environmental change. The EU-funded SAFE project will apply a circular economy approach to reduce the environmental impact and improve the economic viability of FWASs. Solid and liquid wastes from recirculating aquaculture systems, integrated multi-trophic aquaculture and FWAS waste streams will be returned to the aquaculture feed chain. SAFE will promote the implementation of these solutions through local- and regional-scale demonstrations. It will also compare the experiences of FWASs in the EU and China and improve aquaculture sustainability in both areas.
Objective
The objective of SAFE project is to reduce the environmental impact and improve the viability of the FW aquaculture by applying circular economy approaches to the valorisation of solid and liquid wastes from recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and integThe main objective of SAFE project is to reduce the environmental impact and improve the viability of the FW aquaculture by applying circular economy (CE) approaches to the valorisation of solid and liquid wastes from recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) systems. The economic viability of FW aquaculture will be improved through major advances in management systems and the integration of waste streams from FW aquaculture systems (FWAS) into the aquaculture feed chain. SAFE will enable the uptake of these solutions through local and regional scale demonstrations across the EU and will document the necessary management and governance conditions for successful transferability. The multidisciplinary expertise of the consortium across a wide range of systems, species and geographies will target the enhancement of species of particular biodiversity concerns, such as European native crayfish. We will improve the sustainability of FW aquaculture production and investigate the feasibility of diversification through the culture of under-represented species (perch) and valuable crayfish species with declining populations. Lastly, we will compare the experiences of EU FW aquaculture to Chinese FWAS and value chains, the largest, fastest-growing and most diverse aquaculture sector in the world, using mutual knowledge sharing to improve the sustainability of aquaculture in China and the EU. SAFE, through extensive dissemination activities, knowledge transfer programmes, training workshops and collaborative engagement with industry and stakeholders, will support the development of professional skills and competencies of the FW aquaculture both within the EU and partner countries.
Fields of science
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Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinator
1553 Copenhagen
Denmark