Increasing sustainability for local Mediterranean fisheries: EuFish_SustainableGrowth project.

For most fish species, only the fillets are currently utilised whereas the rest of raw materials are usually discarded during processing (e.g., skin, backbone). Other species are considered low value by fishermen and consumers, for example bogue (Boops boops), horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) and round sardinella (Sardinella aurita) that may be returned to the sea as discards together with inedible, undersized, or damaged organisms. Other fish species like silver scabbardfish (Lepidopus caudatus) and dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) are abundant and little known but may offer an alternative to the species most commonly consumed. Several of those species belong to the “blue fish” group and have excellent nutritional values, health properties, flavour and quality-price ratio.

AquaBioTech Group is proud to participate in the BlueBio ERA-NET Cofund project under the Research Priority Topic Sustainable exploration of the aquatic environment and biological resources to promote the higher value of these fish through the project EuFish_SustainableGrowth. The aim of the project is to focus on more sustainable fisheries management promoting the consumption of neglected fish materials and novel aquaculture feeds. Sustainable fisheries management is essential for the future health of our oceans. This process could assist marine ecosystems recovery from overfishing, helping oceans to play their beneficial role for climate and environment.

This is a multidisciplinary study of underutilised fish species with studies of ecology, biogeography, molecular species identification, microbiota composition, nutritional and sensorial properties, and chemical contamination. The expected outcome of the project is to encourage more responsible and sustainable fishing and to launch on the market new seafood and feed products achieving “zero waste”.

The Maltese partner in the project is supported in Malta by the Malta Council for Science and Technology as part of the BlueBio ERA-Net Cofund, and the project receives co-funding from the European Union under the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement 817992. 

EuFish_SustainableGrowth intends to strengthen the economic and social development of European activities related to the fishing industry, with a respectful approach to biodiversity and environmental sustainability.

EUFish_SustainableGrowth is led by Prof Tiziana Pepe at the University of Naples Federico II. AquaBioTech Limited, Matis, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Brim hf, and Grímur kokkur are partners in the activities. In Malta, the main activities will include bibliographic research to define and manage sustainable fish sampling, fish species taxonomy, biology and biogeography, sourcing locally underutilised fish from local geographies, developing fish meal and extracts from underutilised waste products, and conducting feeding trials on meagre (Argyrosomus regius) in AquaBioTech Group’s innovative Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS).

EuFish_SustainableGrowth is in accordance with the European objectives of the Blue Bioeconomy related to the careful exploitation of living marine biological resources through an ecosystem approach. In order to enhance the oceans untapped potential in terms of biological resources, it is necessary to implement a policy based on environmental sustainability and safety, with integrated lines of action, applicable along the entire seafood supply chain. More about the Blue Bio Cofund can be found on their page https://bluebioeconomy.eu/.

Read further on this project by clicking on the below link.

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