Aquaculture technologies for the production of innovative feeds for improved fish stocks (AquaTech4Feed)

Short description of the project: AquaTech4Feed was a three-year project financed by Horizon 2020, aimed at formulating novel fish feed from alternative proteinaceous biomass sources, such as algae, duckweed, insects and microbiomed (bioflocs) in order to improve fish production and product quality.

Tangible results: This project has developed a novel sustainable aquaculture production process based on a closed recirculating system that recovers nutrients and water, enhancing both resource efficiency and biosafety. Advanced technologies and methods had been applied to ensure that the resulting novel feeds are safe for use in aquaculture diets. To evaluate performance, the project conducted feeding trials with lumpfish, salmon, and sea bream, assessing growth outcomes and establishing benchmarks for production efficiency and product quality, available in the set of publications produced under the scope of the project.

Application/relevance: This project contributes to the development of alternative protein fish feeds to boost aquaculture sustainability, thus enhancing the aquaculture industry resilience and reducing the environmental impact.