Mattrygghet: Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture for Sustainable and Safe Food Production

Prosjektet SAFER-IMTA (Sustainable and Safe Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture) samlet ledende ekspertise fra Norge (Møreforsking AS) og Kina (Institute of Hydrobiology, Shenzhen University) med mål om å møte behovet for en mer bærekraftig og trygg matproduksjon i akvakultur. Konsortiet bygget videre på eksisterende kunnskap knyttet til konseptet Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) for å optimalisere ressursutnyttelse og redusere miljøpåvirkningen fra akvakultur. Prosjektet skapte en bedre vitenskapelig forståelse av mulighetene og utfordringene knyttet til landbaserte IMTA-systemer, med fokus på samdyrking av lavere trofiske arter (mikroalger, makroalger og sjøpølser). Det ble fokusert på å utnytte både organisk partikulært materiale og oppløste næringssalter fra karpeoppdrett (Kina) og lakseoppdrett (Norge). Biologiske prosesser ble kombinert med fysiske og/eller kjemiske behandlinger for å omdanne næringsutslipp til egnede substrater for produksjon av alger og sjøpølser. Prosjektet vurderte også sikkerheten og kvaliteten til de lavtrofiske produktene for bruk som mat og ingredienser i fiskefôr. Omfattende testing bekreftet at de fleste skadelige stoffer (f.eks. tungmetaller, dioksiner, PCB) enten var under deteksjonsgrensene eller godt under lovlig tillatte nivåer. I Kina ble oppløste næringssalter brukt til dyrking av mikroalger, som kunne brukes til å produsere et trygt og næringsrikt fôr for karpe. I Norge ble slam fra lakseoppdrett vurdert som en trygg ingrediens i fôr til rød sjøpølse, uten negative konsekvenser for matsikkerheten til sjøpølseproduktet. Studien understreket imidlertid behovet for videre forskning på biotransformasjon av lakseslam for å optimalisere denne fôrkilden bedre til rød sjøpølse. Prosjektet økte også kunnskapen om bruk av næringsstoffer (f.eks. nitrogen og fosfor) fra landbasert lakseoppdrett til å produsere havsalat som proteinkilde. Kunnskapen som SAFER-IMTA-konsortiet har generert, representerer et viktig skritt fremover for IMTA-produksjonsteknologi. Den øker også vår forståelse av de samfunnsmessige implikasjonene av IMTA-prosesser og -produkter. Prosjektet støtter opp under utviklingen av bærekraftige verdikjeder i havbruksnæringen ved å identifisere insentiver og barrierer for implementering av IMTA-systemer, noe som danner grunnlag for å forbedre dagens regelverk og legge til rette for nye teknologiske løsninger.

SAFER-IMTA consolidated methodologies related to the culture of algae in wastewater from aquaculture and documented the algae product safety for feed and food uses. A photobioreactor was designed for both micro- and macro-algae culture and to facilitate the study of the mitigation potential of algae species for excess nutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus) from finfish farms. The use of particulate matter (sludge) was also investigated and biotransformation through bacterial pre-treatment demonstrated one potential strategy for valorising of this waste stream, as a feed component for aquaculture of high-value sea cucumbers. Even if the project was conducted under the COVID-19 pandemic, online international collaboration was developed to ensure close communication between the Chinese and Norwegian partners and contributed to developed further competences in each team within the fields of aquaculture waste management, microbial and algal biotechnology as well as nutrition and food science. The collaboration was particularly successful in expanding and strengthening collaborations and scientific perspectives with the young Chinese researchers and the Norwegian partner. Finally, knowledge from SAFER-IMTA highlighted the incentives or obstacles in the development of an industry based on innovative and sustainable solutions. By enabling novel innovative routes to produce new feed and food products from underutilized marine resources, SAFER-IMTA resulted to closely collaborated with several international projects such as the CA Ocean4biotech (https://www.ocean4biotech.eu/) , the CA SEAWHEAT (https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA20106/), the European collaboration EULVA (https://sites.google.com/view/eulva/home/project-partners) and the TAHALEB project financed by the Global Seaweed Coalition (https://www.safeseaweedcoalition.org/). The work conducted in Norway also contributed to close collaboration with the SANOCEAN (NRC 288536) and in developing a spin-off project (SUMUSANO NRC352928). The Norwegian team in collaboration with its Chinese partners as well have the extended European networks will continue to explore the potential of algae as a sustainable and environmentally friendly production of safe and nutritious biomass, with low impact on ecosystems and investigate the use of biotransformed aquaculture sludge as a potential feed for low trophic species.

The global aquaculture sector is expected to grow to feed an increasing world population. Yet, the industry’s relies on limited and unsustainable sources of raw materials for aquafeed production. Additionally, nutrient-rich aquaculture effluents represent an underutilized resource with rising environmental concern. SAFER-IMTA draws on key expertise from Norway (Møreforsking AS) and China (Institute of Hydrobiology, Shenzhen University) to address the need for a more sustainable and safe aquaculture food production. The consortium will build upon existing knowledge to demonstrate the concept of integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) to maximize resource utilization and limit environmental impacts from fed aquaculture. The project aims to develop advanced land-based systems for the co-culture of lower trophic species (microalgae, macroalgae and sea cucumber) using both particulate and liquid fractions from carp (China) and salmon (Norway) aquaculture. Biological processes coupled to physical and/or chemical processes will be investigated to convert the waste fractions to suitable substrates for sea cucumber and algal production. The safety and quality of lower trophic products in the perspective of their use as food and aquafeed ingredients will be assessed based on their characterization for harmful compounds (e.g. heavy metals, dioxins, PCBs) and essential nutrients (e.g. proteins, lipids, minerals). Life cycle assessments will provide important information on the environmental footprint of the developed systems. The knowledge generated by the consortium will bring the IMTA production technology further and increase the understanding of societal impacts of its processes and products though stakeholder consultation and regulations surveys. Better understanding of the incentives and barriers for the implementation of IMTA systems along with technological innovation will contribute to the development of sustainable value-chains in the aquaculture sector.