ASTRAL-All Atlantic Ocean Sustainable, Profitable and Resilient Aquaculture

A collaborative Ecosystem for Atlantic aquaculture

New sustainable and profitable value chain systems for aquaculture production in the Atlantic regions will be developed in ASTRAL.

ASTRAL (All Atlantic Ocean Sustainable, Profitable and Resilient Aquaculture) is a HORIZON 2020 project recently funded under the Blue Growth programme. It has a budget close to 8 million Euro and is led by the Norwegian Research Centre (NORCE).

The project will contribute to the implementation of the Belém Statement to develop a strategic partnership on marine research and participate in building the All Atlantic Ocean Community.

The project main goal is to increase value and sustainability for integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) production by developing new, resilient, and profitable value chains. In IMTA production, multiple aquatic species from different trophic levels are farmed together. Waste from one species are used as inputs (fertilisers and food) for another species. The IMTA process will be used at four ‘labs’ in Scotland, South Africa, Brazil and Ireland; these sites will grow species such as fish, scallops, lobsters, oysters, urchins and seaweed. A prospective IMTA lab will also be assessed for future production in Argentina.

ASTRAL goals include increasing circularity to achieve zero-waste aquaculture systems, as well as creating appropriated business models to enhance profitability. Potential climate risks and emerging pollutant (microplastics, harmful algae blooms, pathogens) will be assessed, together with the development of innovative technology (specific sensors and biosensors, IoT and AI data analytics), with the final aim to provide monitoring recommendations to policy makers. Sharing knowledge and capacity development are among ASTRAL priorities, to build a collaborative ecosystem along the Atlantic Ocean with industrial partners, SMEs, scientists, policy makers, social representatives and other relevant stakeholders.

The ASTRAL consortium includes 16 partners and two associated partners from 10 countries - Norway, Scotland, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, Nigeria, South Africa, Argentina and Brazil. Partners includes Research and Technology Organisations (NORCE, LEITAT, SAMS CSIR, CONICET, Marine Institute, NIOMR), Universities (Federal University of Rio Grande, University of Cape Town), SMEs (BioceanOR, EGM, Crowdhelix, M&O Partners, Viking Aquaculture), associations/industrial cluster (PoleMer Bretagne Atlantique, Technopôle Quimper-Cornouaille) and governmental and intergovernmental organizations (AIR Centre, Department of Environment, Fishery and Forestry-RSA).

The ASTRAL project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 863034.