IMTA project to unlock growth
AN initiative to promote the development of integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) across Europe has been launched by a consortium of organisations, including Oban based SAMS (the Scottish Association for Marine Science).
Eight groups in total - from Spain, France, Ireland, Portugal and the UK - are involved in the project, called Integrate, which aims to unlock aquaculture growth and improve the quality and public perception of aquaculture products.
Although IMTA systems, whereby different species are farmed together at different trophic levels, contribute to sustainability by making the best use of the nutrient flow in aquaculture facilities,
they have yet to reach their full potential.
To address the bottlenecks, the EU funded Integrate programme will support cooperation between academia, the corporate sector and relevant authorities.
‘Integrate will deliver tools to effectively increase competitiveness in Atlantic IMTA, unlocking sectorial green
growth and improving the quality and public perception of aquaculture products,’ said María del Mar Agraso, technical director at the Andalusian Aquaculture Technology Centre (CTAQUA), Integrate’s lead partner organisation.
The three-year scheme is funded by the European Regional Development Fund.