In a fish farm in the west of Scotland around 1,000 tons of salmon are bred every year. Marine biologists think today\u2019s European aquaculture can become more imaginative, more profitable, more efficient and more sustainable.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Harvesting seafood <\/strong> Together with salmon, workers here plan to harvest around 150,000 scallops and 60 tons of mussels in 2016. It\u2019s the result of an ongoing pilot test on a technique called Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture, or IMTA.
Just downstream from the salmon cages, underwater lines of other aquaculture species are bred thanks, in part, to the nutrients left over by the salmon. Experts say it\u2019s a win-win situation. David Attwood is a Marine Biologist and the Aquaculture Director at the Scottish Salmon Company. He outlined what the project hopes to achieve.
\u201cFor the salmon, we are hoping that we can reduce the amount of phytoplankton. Potentially we can also knock down sea lice. But we are also hoping that this technique can help us reduce carbon footprint and also to be able to have a cash crop of another species or species, that we can also sell as food.\u201d
Other pilot sites Scientists from a European research project are studying six further pilot sites across the continent, identifying the ideal conditions for the growth of alternative seafood and the challenges posed, when next to traditional fish farms.
The stakes are high, researchers, such as Marine Biologist Adam Hughes said. \u201cThere is a lack of knowledge in a lot of countries about which species to farm. This is important in the Mediterranean, where the conditions are very different to what you see here. In the Mediterranean Sea, there are deficient nutrients and a very different species mix. And then there are the economic issues. You\u2019ve got to do this (alternative farming) in a way that turns a profit for the farmer. So, the species that you grow, you have to have a market for them\u201d.
The seaweed market is steadily growing, with many food and pharmaceutical applications. \u201cThe seaweed that we grow here, one of the reasons why it grows well is because we are adjacent to the salmon cages,\u201d Marine Biologist Lars Brunner explained.
Samples of seaweed \u2013 or other alternative species \u2013 are taken to labs to determine the ideal conditions for growth next to traditional fish farms. \u201cWe are looking at length. We are looking at weight. We are looking at the distribution of that across (underwater) lines to see if there is more growth closer to the salmon farms, or less growth farthest away from the salmon cages. Our other partners in the projects they are also interested in the composition of the seaweed. So, what the seaweed\u2019s absorbing and taking off while they are growing on the site. For instance, their nutrient levels, whether for instance, they are picking up things like heavy metals at all. And we also analyse the natural chemical components; whether the components are being affected by being close or adjacent to salmon farms,\u201d Brunner added.
Researchers want to accurately determine the new technique\u2019s best practices, environmental record and real impact on animals\u2019 health. \u2018A market full of promise\u2019 Only then it will be time to look ahead in a market full of promise, they say. \u201cThere is a real need for the European aquaculture industry to grow, because it is stagnating, whereas our demand for seafood is increasing, and the global market (for seafood) is increasing. So, this IMTA can be one of the tools that allows that expansion, by diversifying the industry away from just fin fish, by creating more jobs and be creating new opportunities and new products,\u201d said Hughes.
Fish farming supplies approximately 50 percent of the fish and seafood consumed worldwide. This new aquaculture approach is currently only being used in some Asian countries and Canada.
This innovation was made possible by Israel\u2019s continued participation in the official Horizon 2020 fund, managed in Israel by ISERD part of The Israel Innovation Authority (Formerly the Office of the Chief Scientist and MATIMOP). The initiative has taken Israeli R&D to the next level with the help of ground-breaking collaboration between scientists in Israel and Europe, as well as essential funding and support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Project details<\/strong> Project acronym: <\/strong>IDREEM Participants:<\/strong> UK (Coordinator), Norway, Israel, Ireland, Cyprus, Italy, Netherlands Project Reference N\u00b0<\/strong> 308571 Total cost:<\/strong> \u20ac5 771 966 EU contribution:<\/strong> \u20ac4 206 435 Duration: <\/strong>October 2012 – September 2016 View the article online:<\/strong> http:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/research\/infocentre\/article_en.cfm?artid=42537<\/a> \u00a9 European Union, 2016<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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