The overall long-term objective of this project is the development of preconditions for sustainable management of aquaculture and fisheries by-products, based on circular economy models (upcycling).
This objective reflects the urgent need to align the aquaculture and fisheries sectors with relevant EU legislation, with focus on marine by-products landing obligation and management, as well as to foster the overall transition of the “blue” sectors towards circular economy models.
Additionally, the project will contribute to the objective of improving self-sustainable models of aquaculture, by exploring potential for raw material and product definition mainly for sustainable efficient fish feed production.
The project will focus on five specific areas of expertise:
- Fish landing obligation - utilisation of discard resources capacity and product definition
- Define opportunities to convert targeted fishery by-products into valuable products (aquaculture, fishing, processing)
- Proposed short and long-term directions, definition ed of product lines and modules according to capacity, by-product structure, and legislation rules
- Definition of scope of Fish by-product management center and auxiliary solutions for distance by-product handling and logistic
- Product diversification and market
To ensure effective knowledge transfer and implementation of know-how and innovative solutions resulting from the project activities and results, the project aims to involve the researchers and experts from the field of fish by-products industry where after assessing the preliminary possibility of creating the centres for by-products management in Croatia.
In the beginning of October (2-8 October 2023) it was organised study tour where Croatian delegation visit Norway in order to see how both utilisation of fisheries rest raw materials/ by-products are organised industrially and how research support further developments and improvement in this areas. During study visit Salmar and Nutrimar facilities were visited. Daily routines, experience and processing of salmon rest raw materials were discussed with Nutrimar staff followed by practical tour showing value chain starting from delivery of salmon to processing /filleting lines, through whole rest raw material processing lines till the packed and ready for delivery final products. SINTEF Ocean also organised whole day workshop were both Croation and Norwegians partners presented they expertise and on-going projects and research areas. SINTEF researchers presented a number of projects covering research activities form aquaculture, through processing and quality assurance till the stabilisation of the final product. Visit to SINTEF ocean laboratories and processing facilities were included in the workshops program.
