NACEE Workshop on some specific issues of freshwater aquacultureRétimajor, Hungary, 4 May 2012

Newly discovered form of aquaculture: Newly discovered form of aquaculture: Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture

(IMTA)(IMTA)

Dr. László VáradiHungarian Aquaculture Association

The development of integrated aquaculture

Freshwater aquaculture

Marine aquaculture

Profitability(nutrient efficiency)

Environment protection(nutrient efficiency and

retention)

Social acceptability(resource efficiency,

food safety etc.)

Polyculture

Fish-duck/pig

Fish-rice

„Sewage fishponds”

„Aquaculture-rotation”

Partitioned systems

Aquaponic units

Combined Intensive-Extensive Systems

Treatment of effluent of coastal ponds by mussels

Culture of seaweed/mussels around marine cages and enclosures

IMTA

Experience

R&DModellingPlanningManagementRegulations

IMTA

1979

2000China, Bo Hai bay

Integration became a „must” in marine aquaculture

IMTA

Source: Chopin, 2011

Principle of IMTA

• Nutrient removal from the system• Minimizing ecological footprint (electric boat, wind power)• Natural-like „eco” conditions

Seaweed Mussels

Salmon

Sea cucumber

Model of an IMTA system

Fish production in cages

Mussels production (white buoys)

Algae production (black buoys)

Large-scale IMTA in China

Classification of aquaculture ecosystem service and function

Source: Fang et al., 2012

供给服务Provisioning service

调节服务Regulating service

文化服务Cultural service

气候调节Climate regulation

净化水质Waste treatment

空气质量调节Gas regulation

疾病调节Disease regulation

……

海产品Sea food

原材料Material

基因资源Genetic resource

……

旅游娱乐Recreation & tourism

教育科研Education & research

文化审美Cultural &aesthetic

……

Aquaculture ecosystem service function

Provisioning service Regulating service Cultural service

Climate regulation

Waste treatment

Gas regulation

Disease regulation

……

Sea food

Material

Genetic resource

……

Recreation & tourism

Education & research

Cultural & aesthetic

……

Aquaculture Ecosystem Service Function

Value of ecosystem services by different aquaculture systems

Source: Fang et al., 2012

Total value(USD/ha/year

18,800

10,100

105,600

154,300

Nutrient flow in a monoculture and an IMTA

Source: Chopin., 2011

Feed Conversion Ration (FCR)Food Assimilation Trophic Transfer

Integrated Efficiency Ratios (FATTIER)

MONOCULTURE IMTA

http://www.cimtan.ca

Homepage of a Canadian IMTA Network

Interdiciplinary research and high level education on IMTA and related fields through strong partnership between research-government-industry: -Ecological design, ecosystem interactions, efficiency of biological treatment;-System innovation, engineering;-Economical viability and social acceptance;-Control systems.

for the promotion of wider application of IMTA.

Important issue is the utilization of IMTA products

Related EU project

SEAPURASEAPURA

Treatment of effluent from marine fish production systems with seaweedMinimizing environmental impact by seaweed that can be utilized as food, raw material for pharmaceutical and cosmetic products and fish feed ingredient with antibiotic effect.

GENESISGENESISSustainable IMTA in EuropeTesting of four prototypes in three countries: Israel, France & Scotland. N content of the effluent can be decreased by more than 50%. Increased product diversity.

IMTA and polyculture

POLYCULTURE

Opinions on the difference between polyculture and IMTA:•In IMTA species are feeding on different level of the food chain (fed fish, extractive filter feeders e.g. seaweed and mussels);•IMTA is a „precision aquaculture” system, while nutrient efficiency of polyculture is far from optimal.

IMTA

Freshwater experimental IMTA in the Freshwater Fisheries Research Center

(FFRC) in China (Wuxi)

Experimental IMTA in HAKI, Hungary

Source: Handbook of sustainable aquaculture

Aquaponic IMTA system in Switzerland

Source: Handbook of sustainable aquaculture

http://www.haki.hu/tartalom/SUSTAIN0906/SustainAqua%20handbook_EN.pdf

Handbook of sustainable aquaculture

IMTA in the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund

Proposal for aREGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCILon the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund

Article 52Promotion of aquaculture with high level of environmental protectionIn order to substantially reduce the impact of aquaculture on the environment the EMFF maysupport investments:

(a) allowing for a substantial reduction of impact of aquaculture enterprises on water, in particular through reducing the amount of water used or improving the output water quality, including through the deployment of multi-trophic aquaculture systems;

(b) limiting the negative impact of aquaculture enterprises on nature or biodiversity;

(c) the purchase of the equipment protecting aquaculture farms from wild predators benefitting from protection under Council and European Parliament Directive 2009/147/EEC and Council Directive 92/43/EC;

(d) increasing energy efficiency and promoting conversion of aquaculture enterprises to renewable sources of energy;

(e) the restoration of existing aquaculture ponds or lagoons through removal of silt, or possible measures aimed at the prevention of silt deposition.

Summary and recommendations

• Linking „IMTA” concept to marine system is unproportional and unjustified

• Freshwater aquaculturists should be more proactive in order to get freshwater IMTA known and accepted (towards professionals, decision makers and the society)

• There is a need to intensify R&D activity aiming at the increasing of complexity and improving efficiency of freshwater IMTA systems

• IMTA offers new opportunities in species diversification that sould be utilized with special regards to new, unconventional species (not only fish)

Thank you for your attention