PrAEctiCe project is funded by the HORIZON Europe programme under Grant Agreement number 101084248

PrAEctiCe presented at Aquaculture Europe 2023

Aquaculture Europe 2023 commenced in Vienna, Austria, from the 18th to the 21st of September. A four-day event, which primarily focused on the theme of “balancing diversity” in aquaculture and the broader blue economy, showcased many presentations and pitches from various aquaculture sectors across Europe and other regions.

AquaBioTech, a partner of PrAEctiCe, was an exhibitor at the event, and Aquaculture Consultant Davide Sorella orally presented an abstract that he authored with colleagues Tamás Bardócz, Freya Robinson, A Chantzaropoulos, M Setti, Prof Jan Hoinkis, and Talha Atiye. The paper “Aquaculture Developments in East Africa through the Lens of Two European-Funded Projects” covered the PrAEctiCe and FoodLAND Africa projects.

The presentation was conducted during the ‘Aquaponics and Urban Farming’ session on Thursday, September 21, at 3:00 p.m. He shared the PrAEctiCe project’s initiative to establish three living labs that focus on developing circular water-energy-nutrient systems for integrated aqua-agricultural purposes. The first living lab building upon the previous Horizon 2020 project is known as “VicInAqua” and centres on a recirculating aquaculture system operated on municipal wastewater filtered using a membrane bioreactor. This system will be enhanced to include grow-out ponds, and wastewater from the fish production systems will be utilised to irrigate crop production.

The second living lab is designed as an aquaponics system, integrating fish production with various crops.

Finally, the third living lab will utilise a pond culture system integrated with poultry and vegetables. The poultry waste will be used to fertilise the ponds, and the wastewater from the ponds will be utilised to irrigate the crops.

By implementing these living labs, the PrAEctiCe project seeks to advance the development of sustainable agricultural practices that promote the efficient use of water, energy, and nutrients. In addition, these living laboratories will serve as a platform for assessing and verifying novel technologies and approaches with the potential to revolutionise the agricultural industry. Each system will be customised to suit the East African milieu and showcase available technologies and opportunities that local farmers can replicate.

During his presentation, Davide provided an overview of the aquaculture advancements being implemented in the Food Hubs involved in aquaculture initiatives in FoodLAND Africa, specifically in Kisumu (Kenya), Kajjansi (Uganda) and Morogoro (Tanzania). These developments include recirculating aquaculture systems, novel fish feeds, and production protocols.

Each aquaculture project in East African countries showcases the different directions in which the industry is expanding. They focus on the most beneficial technologies, techniques, and systems catering to specific regions. These differences offer exciting opportunities for research and development. Still, both projects have a common goal: to develop systems that can be easily replicated by local farmers, whether on a small-scale subsistence farm or a larger commercial enterprise.

The keynote speeches for this year’s conference centred around investing in sustainable aquaculture, diversifying production, and breeding for genetic resilience. Among the esteemed keynote speakers was Aqua-Spark’s CEO, Lissy Smit, who provided an investor’s perspective on “Moving aquaculture to more sustainable, healthier, and affordable production”. Morten Rye from Benchmark Genetics discussed breeding resilience.

The program included a series of specialised forums for the industry, focusing on aquaculture innovation. Thematic workshops and networking opportunities were also provided.

The conference featured parallel sessions that covered the full range of European aquaculture scientific disciplines and species. Additionally, an international trade exhibition, industry forum, student sessions and activities, satellite workshops, and updates on EU research were presented.

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