BEYOND FISH MONOCULTURE Developing Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture in Europe
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IDREEM - Increasing Industrial Resouce Efficiency In European Aquaculture BEYOND FISH MONOCULTURE Developing Integrated Multi-trophic Aquaculture in Europe INTRODUCTION Aquaculture is the fastest growing animal food producing sector in the world and is an increasingly important contributor to global food supply and economic growth. The European aquaculture industry covers the production of finfish, shel- lfish and other aquatic species, including algae, in both freshwater and marine con- ditions. Currently in the EU the demand for seafood is increasing while the amount caught from wild fisheries is decreasing and the European Commission calls for this gap to be partly filled with environmentally responsible aquaculture. Moreover, the EU’s Strategy for Blue Growth identifies aquaculture as a sector which could boost economic growth and bring social benefits through new jobs. There are over 14 000 aquaculture enterprises in the EU, directly employing 85 000 people in total, but in contrast with other regions of the world, aquaculture production is stagnating in the EU, while imports are rising. In this context, Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA)can be used as a va- luable tool towards building a sustainable aquaculture industry. IMTA systems can be environmentally responsible, diverse, profitable and a source of employment in coastal regions. IMTA has been practiced for centuries in Asia, but has yet to beco- me established in Europe. This report outlines the activities and the main results of IDREEM, a collaborative research project launched in 2012, to move IMTA beyond the current state of the art and to and demonstrate its viability for the European aquaculture industry. EU Horizon 2020 funding provided time and money that allowed seven com- panies across Europe to invest in IMTA that would otherwise have not done so. Each has gained an insight into the infrastructure needed, the time and dedication needed, the learning of new skills and techniques, most of whom were entirely unfamiliar with aquaculture production of seaweeds, bivalves and other species. Having undergone a huge learning experience, they remain committed to develo- ping IMTA to the next level through increased, more commercial scale implementa- tion of IMTA, as a lasting legacy from the funding provided by the EU Horizon 2020 programme. TABLE OF CONTENTS BEYOND FISH MONOCULTURE Developing Integrated Multi-trophic Aquaculture in Europe 1 - IMTA for a more sustainable European aquaculture 5 2 - Developing IMTA across Europe 8 3 - Learning from practical experience: the farmers insight 16 4 - Assessing the environmental interactions of IMTA 19 5 - Life Cycle Assessment of Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture in Europe 23 6 - Social acceptance of IMTA and policy implications 26 7 - Market and financial assessment of IMTA 28 8 - What are the impacts of IMTA: Modelling tools for IMTA 31 9 - Moving forward with commercial IMTA 36 10 - References and further reading 41 Authors Adam D. Hughes, Richard A. Corner, Maurizio Cocchi, Karen A. Alexander, Shirra Freeman, Dror Angel, Mariachiara Cantore, Daryl Gunnig, Julie Maguire, Angelica Mendoza Beltran, Jeroen Guinée, Joao Ferreira, Rui Ferreira Céline Rebour Editors Maurizio Cocchi, Richard Corner, Adam Hughes ISBN 9788889407400 Graphic Design Laura Pigneri, ETA-Florence Renewable Energies Published ETA-Florence Renewable Energies srl. Italy www.etaflorence.it Date 9 September 2016 Printed by AD Futura, Florence, Italy Acknowledgement This work and the research leading to these results have been undertaken as part of the IDREEM project (Increasing Resource Efficiency in European Mariculture). This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement no. 308571. Legal Notice The information and views set out in this book are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the European Union. Reproduction is authorized provided the source is acknowledged. This is subject to it being reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. Photo courtesy: Mer Lab Chapter 1 – IMTA for a more sustainable European aquaculture IMTA for a more sustainable European aquaculture Adam D. Hughes, Centre for aquaculture, Scottish Association for Marine Science, UK Richard A. Corner, Longline Environment Ltd., UK Maurizio Cocchi, ETA-Florence, Italy Integrated Multi-trophic Aquaculture is a win-win concept but is not widely adopted in Europe. The IDREEM project examined barriers that limit the uptake of IMTA; combining research with implementation at seven pilot sites across Europe, it demonstrated the benefits and opportuni- ties IMTA can offer the European aquaculture sector. Currently, aquaculture supplies over 50% of fin- lower down the food chain that will use this waste and shellfish consumed worldwide. This represents stream to grow; waste nutrients and energy con- a paradigm shift in our exploitation of the sea that verted to other products for harvest including shel- for centuries was dominated by capture fisheries. lfish, seaweeds and other species and supporting With global population growing and the European a reduction in the overall environmental impact population expected to rise to 520 million by 2030 from aquaculture activity. In marine aquaculture (currently 499 million), the demand for aquacultu- systems the production of fish, shellfish or algae is re products is expected to expand. In fact, the de- undertaken using a variety of production methods mand for aquaculture products will probably be di- (cages, longlines, rafts) but generally produced alo- sproportionally large because global fisheries have ne in monoculture, where each species is grown generally been stagnant or in decline since the mid separately. IMTA is different. 1980’s and aquaculture will fill the widening gap In an IMTA system the layout of the IMTA site is between demand for marine products and ability such that species are grown in proximity, in both of traditional fisheries to satisfy it. space and timing of culture, in such a way that the shellfish and/or plants and other species, can In addition, a shift to healthier food will increase recycle the nutrients that are lost from the fed cul- the consumption of aquatic products. Notwithstan- ture of finfish. A fish farmer who adds fish feed to ding these trends, there are serious questions over his cages, knows that a proportion of the feed, and the environmental and economic sustainability of a large proportion of the nutrients in that feed, will Europe’s current aquaculture industry. The potential not end up in the fish but will be lost to the environ- for aquaculture to reduce pressure on stressed wild- ment. If the farmer adds a bivalve culture operation stocks depends on the extent to which fish farming near the fish farm, then these filter-feeders might relies on wild-stocks for manufactured fish feed. The benefit by consuming some of the particles of wa- European aquaculture industry is dominated by mo- ste, allowing the shellfish to grow faster or bigger noculture of carnivorous finfish and has therefore than they might otherwise have done. Additionally, contributed to aquaculture’s doubled share of fish the farmer might elect to grow some seaweed near oil and fishmeal demand over the last decade de- spite a growing trend in substitution of marine with terrestrially derived proteins and lipids. Moreover, all waste by-products of monoculture are dischar- ged directly into aquatic ecosystems. To overcome these issues the IDREEM project worked towards the rapid development of al- ternative Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) production technology in Europe. This technology is based on the principle of eco-effi- ciency – turning waste streams into secondary raw materials for further production. The concept of Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) is simple; utilise the waste products from fed spe- cies (mainly fish) and co-produce other species A diagram of the IMTA concept 9 www.idreem.eu Chapter 1 – IMTA for a more sustainable European aquaculture Chapter 1 – IMTA for a more sustainable European aquaculture the fish farm. These plants can utilise the dissolved od, but to date IMTA is only practiced in the EU by a Learning from experience and observations-disciplinary approach nutrients excreted by the fish and the bivalves to few specialist companies. enhance their growth. This is IMTA in operation. The- The idea behind the European research project The pilot scale IMTA projects have all been suc- sustainable aquaculture production. se additional products provide a valuable economic IDREEM (Increasing Industrial Resource Efficiency cessful in their own terms but with a range of diffe- A Life Cycle Assessment was conducted for each resource for the aquaculture operation, to harvest, in European Mariculture) was to understand some rent implementations. Some producers have found farm company, with a comparison of the new IMTA market and sell and increase overall aquaculture of the bottlenecks and barriers that prevent the in- a lot of bottlenecks, while some have found it much system with fish monoculture, which highlighted a production in line with European goals. This is com- dustrial uptake of this production system, and to more logistically easy. Farmers were able to gain an number of technical and methodological trade-of- bined with a net reduction of losses to the environ- better understand the economic, social and biolo- insight into the practicalities of growing additional fs between systems.Market and financial aspects ment improving overall aquaculture sustainability. gical benefits of IMTA in a European context. species, and for many this was a lesson in new te- of Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture were as- This approach is not new, IMTA has been practi- Launched in 2012 IDREEM had a budget of €5.7 chniques. sessed focused on translating environmental and sed by default in Asia for thousands of years and million funded by the 7th EU Framework Program- The environmental interaction of fish farms and social impacts of IMTA into economic and financial has being studied in Europe and elsewhere for 40 me.