Project summary
The SAFE project aims to reverse the declining trend of EU freshwater aquaculture by demonstrating a circular economy model that reduces emissions, minimizes impacts on biodiversity, supports local production of sustainable feed ingredients, improves profitability and creates new jobs.
The main objective is to reduce the environmental impact and improve the viability of freshwater aquaculture by valorizing solid and liquid waste streams from recirculating aquaculture systems and integrated multi-trophic aquaculture systems.
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 project will also compare EU freshwater aquaculture to Chinese freshwater aquaculture systems and value chains to improve sustainability in both regions.
Work packages & objectives
On the right you can see the 7 work packages that the project contains with objectives and the lead partner. Click on each package to see the descriptions.
Here you see a graphical presentation of SAFE components and the interrelationships.
Goals
The specific goals of SAFE, aligned with the expected outcomes of topic HORIZON-CL6-2022- FARM2FORK-01-05 and research topics of the highest priority of the SCAR-Fish study, are listed on the right:
Graphical presentation of the SAFE goals.
1) At least 15% reduction of the novel feed ingredient carbon footprints through circular economy approaches and improved technology
by reducing energy requirements for producing novel feed ingredients by at least 20% and valorising FW aquaculture waste sludge and liquid streams as substrate for cultivation of biomass for fish feed.
2) Reduced global biodiversity impact of aquaculture (15% global land use and water consumption reduction)
by developing novel feed formulations (in 8 feed trials) based on low impact novel ingredients developed using circular economy principles, assessing the environmental impacts of the new feed formulations at local and global levels through life cycle assessment and validating and optimising sustainable novel fish feed performance for the commercially important European FW aquaculture fish species.
3) Reduced local biodiversity loss by optimising the control and monitoring of freshwater aquaculture system efficiency, reducing waste discharge (solid and liquid by 10%) and preventing escapees (100% reduction from adopting freshwater RAS)
by advancing the methods for the collection, characterization, handling and treatment of underutilised sludge and liquid streams for freshwater fish farms, determining the environmental and biodiversity impact of improved waste collection and valorisation techniques, developing and testing an autonomous aquaculture-controlled system using machine learning techniques for reducing fish waste production, improving water quality and fish welfare.
4) 10% reduction of CO2 emissions from RAS
by optimised data collection, management and education using automated management system data.
5) 5% – 10% improved profitability in freshwater aquaculture
by reducing the production costs and diversifying aquaculture through valorisation of the waste streams to produce biomass for new feed formulations with energy-efficient technology, assessing the socio-economic impact and public acceptability of the current systems and proposed interventions, and improving fish welfare and prevention and treatment of fish diseases with bioactive ingredients.
6) Create competences, jobs and economic growth in in the freshwater bioeconomy sector
by increasing the employment opportunities in rural economies by increased primary (freshwater RAS and IMTA) and secondary production and diversification operations (e.g. novel feed ingredients)), investigating the governance and policy issues around freshwater aquaculture growth and the proposed interventions and communication and dissemination of results to a wide audience of stakeholders and early career researchers s via workshops, webinars, online courses and summer school targeted at a total of 500 participants.
Species
SAFE aims to protect biodiversity through diversification of these 5 cultured species, from monoculture to integrated polyculture:
Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) – By developing novel feed with bioactive properties, SAFE aims to improve the wintering success of carp and shorten production times creating economic benefits for carp farmers. In addition, SAFE demonstrates a low-tech, low-cost technology for collection of sludge, and subsequent valorisation as a substrate for cultivation of feed ingredients, to reduce the environmental and biodiversity impacts of carp farming allowing potentially an increase in the maximum production in carp farms. SAFE will engage consumers and stakeholders by demonstrating novel, more appealing ways to present and cook carp including in a special food event.
Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) – SAFE aims to enhance robustness of Atlantic salmon in a critical life stage by developing new feeds that are sustainable, functional, circular, and low in environmental impact. SAFE will improve the efficiency of RAS for salmon smolts by using an improved management system which will lead to reduced time at sea and its negative effects on the local environment and biodiversity both in FW and marine.
Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) – In the SAFE project, the current challenges for rainbow trout will be tackled by nutritional programming using novel feeds, a key to optimal use of fish feed ingredients in EU aquaculture to mitigate commercial fish production bottlenecks.
European perch (Perca fluviatilis) – To attain traction and overcome the current bottlenecks, SAFE aims to develop a stable and high-quality production model for perch farming that reduces mortalities, increases growth performance, reduces both feed conversion rate and production costs. By further development and integration of existing waste streams from a linear to circular model within the Keywater farm, SAFE will aim to enhance perch cultivation to increase replication and uptake in other EU countries, thereby increasing diversification of cultured fresh water species.
Narrow-clawed crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus) – SAFE will demonstrate cultivation of narrow-clawed crayfish in connection with carp farming to provide farmers with possibilities to increase their production and incomes. The cultivated crayfish is also serving as a seed population for restoration of the species back to the natural environment. In depth comparative value chain analyses of Chinese and EU freshwater aquaculture systems will provide insight into successful diversification strategies that EU farmers can employ along with governance and policy recommendations.
