NACEE Workshop on some specific issues of freshwater aquaculture Rétimajor, Hungary, 4 May 2012 Newly discovered form of aquaculture: Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture (IMTA) Dr. László Váradi Hungarian 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&D Modelling Planning Management Regulations IMTA

China, 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 serviceRegulating serviceCultural 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, , ,300

Nutrient flow in a monoculture and an IMTA Source: Chopin., 2011 Feed Conversion Ration (FCR) Food Assimilation Trophic Transfer Integrated Efficiency Ratios (FATTIER) MONOCULTUREIMTA

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 SEAPURA Treatment of effluent from marine fish production systems with seaweed Minimizing environmental impact by seaweed that can be utilized as food, raw material for pharmaceutical and cosmetic products and fish feed ingredient with antibiotic effect. GENESIS Sustainable IMTA in Europe Testing 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

Handbook of sustainable aquaculture

IMTA in the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Article 52 Promotion of aquaculture with high level of environmental protection In order to substantially reduce the impact of aquaculture on the environment the EMFF may support 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)

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