Achieving a biocircular economy in the aquaculture sector through waste valorisation

This paper reviews how aquaculture wastewater and sludge can be transformed from environmental liabilities into valuable resources within a biocircular economy framework. The publication examines the generation and characteristics of aquaculture effluents and evaluates available treatment technologies for nutrient and energy recovery. It highlights pathways for valorising nitrogen‑ and phosphorus‑rich waste streams into biofertilisers, and their reuse in aquaponics, hydroponics, algae and daphnid cultivation, thereby closing nutrient loops. 

By shifting wastewater management from a linear to a circular model, the study demonstrates how waste valorisation can reduce environmental impacts, lower operational costs, and support more sustainable and resilient aquaculture production systems.