Description
Description (EN): Intensive marine aquaculture systems in floating cages use natural resources (i.e. space, materials and auxiliary facilities, water to support fish, and feed and broodstock) and ecosystem services (i.e., oxygen replenishment and dispersal and assimilation of wastes) and transform materials through the use of energy to final product and wastes. In Thesprotia, 26 floating cage farms have been established, of which 21 farms in the Sagiada strip which borders to Albania. Moreover, the forthcoming establishment of the "Area of Organized Aquaculture Development" in Sagiada, is expected to allow local producers achieve economies of scale, facilitate compliance with veterinary and environmental legislation. Marine aquaculture in floating cages is a rather recent activity in Albania. Currently, there are 23 marine cage farms, all of them situated in the Ionian Sea, producing sea bream and sea bass. A critical issue arising from the current situation in both sectors is that the overall ecological sustainability of the farming systems used has not been studied in both countries. An appropriate widely applied method to assess their environmental footprint is the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method. LCA is used to evaluate the environmental burdens associated with a product (in this case sea bass), process, or activity by identifying and quantifying energy and materials used and wastes released to the environment; to assess the impact of those energy and materials used and releases to the environment; and to identify and evaluate opportunities to achieve environmental improvements. The use of LCA in sea bass production intends to: a) comparatively assess culturing methods and production sites, b) identify non-environmentally friendly procedures or practices applied, c) suggest improvements for reducing environmental footprint. Improvement guidelines will be proposed via a final blue paper for both cross-border areas/farms, on the following issues: a) improvement of water quality and other environmental parameters in the area surrounding the floating cage farms, b) know-how, technology and good practices in selected farms, c) environmental footprint calculator for intensive fish production. Farmers, policy makers, scientists and SMEs will benefitted from these outcomes through cross-border co-operation, dissemination of resutls, information on environmentally-friendly practices and carbon reduction in aquaculture. Moreover this project has originality by its own merit as LCA is an emmerging tool in agro-industry for assessing ecological footprint and therefore may become in near future a model work not only for several farmed aquatic species, but also for other production sectors even beyond agro-industries.
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Website: https://2014-2020.greece-albania.eu/
Expected Results (EN): ECO-FISH aims to propose actions that will contribute to the reduction of the environmental footprint of the marine aquaculture systems in the Ionian coasts of Greece and Albania, encourage sustainable use of natural resources, improve quality of final consumer products and raise awareness on related environmental issues. Additionally,it will support and promote the cooperation between the scientific and the business actors and authorities in both countries in order to develop policies regarding the environmental protection and sustainable development. The implementation of ECO-FISH is expected to facilitate compliance with veterinary and environmental legislation, to enhance sustainability of the specific SMEs and of the surrounding environment. ECO-FISH capitalizes on the fact that natural resources preservation, innovative scientific applications, economic development and regional cohesion are interrelated targets that should be approached simultaneously and cooperatively to maximize the benefits of applied policies. Further expected results are: Increase awareness regarding the impact of intensive marine fish production methods on the preservation of natural resources and the competitiveness of local economies. Development of common cross-border strategies/policies regarding environmental protection and sustainable use of natural resources. Stronger collaboration and relationships among research institutions, entrepreneurship supporting entities and SMEs at local /CB/transnational level. Strengthen the collaboration and relationships among research institutions, entrepreneurship supporting entities and SMEs at local /CB/transnational level related to aquaculture. Support potential future collaboration of similar scientific research & pilot EU projects.
Read more Expected Outputs (EN): ECO-FISH is an intervention throughout the specific production chain in order to exploit scientific knowledge, innovative applications, local advantages and effective promotional means and create a sustainable development perspective for populations in the CB area of Greece/Albania. LCA will be applied in the selected marine fish farms located in the cross border area of Greece and Albania across the Ionian Sea in order to comparatively assess culturing methods and production sites, identify non-environmentally friendly applied procedures and practices and suggest improvements for reducing the environmental footprint of the production cycle. In parallel, producers visits & summer school presentations will be organized to raise awareness on issues related to marine aquaculture systems and their sustainability. The scientific knowledge acquired will be disseminated in various ways. Major outputs are the development of computational tool (i.e. environmental footprint calculator) for intensive marine fish farms as well guidelines for lower carbon dioxide fish production.Within the framework of the project, the proposed actions are: i) Elaboration of a Baseline study and Interviews, review and data collection regarding environmental quality, production methods, quality of the final product , ii) Application of a Life Cycle Assessment of fish cultures. Environmental footprint calculator for intensive marine fish cultures, iii) Producers visits and exchanges, summer school presentations a) for marine fish production with under lower environmentalcarbon footprint, b) policy makers and relevant institutions, c) consumers blue growth and fish production & iv) Production of final report/ action plan, computational tool for LCA in fish cultures, good practices and dissemination for lower carbon dioxide fish production, leaflet of technology methods for Lower environmental footprint fish production.
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Thematic information
Specific Objective:
Increase the effectiveness of environmental protection & sustainable use of natural resources
Thematic Priority:
(b) Protecting the environment and promoting climate change adaptation and mitigation, risk prevention and management through, inter alia: joint actions for environmental protection; promoting sustainable use of natural resources, resource efficiency, renewable energy sources and the shift towards a safe and sustainable low-carbon economy; promoting investment to address specific risks, ensuring disaster resilience and developing disaster management systems and emergency preparedness
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Partners (5)
Lead Partner:
ΕΙΔΙΚΟΣ ΛΟΓΑΡΙΑΣΜΟΣ ΚΟΝΔYΛΙΩΝ ΕΡΕΥΝΩΝ ΠΑΝΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΙΟΥ ΙΩΑΝΝΙΝΩΝ
Address:
Administration Building, Opposite Arachtos Bridge, 47132 Arta, Greece
Legal status:
public
Website:
http://www.teiep.gr
Total budget:
EUR 115 810.00
IPA2 budget:
EUR 98 438.50
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Association of Social Education & Environment Protection
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Name:
Association of Social Education & Environment Protection
Address:
Boulevard "Ismail Qemali", Palace Conad, 2nd Floor,Vlora, Albania
Legal status:
private
Website:
http://www.seep.al
Total budget:
EUR 49 025.00
IPA2 budget:
EUR 41 671.25
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Royal Albania Foundation
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Name:
Royal Albania Foundation
Address:
Rruga Ferit Xhajko Pall. 67/1 Shk.2Tirane, Albania
Legal status:
private
Total budget:
EUR 52 677.00
IPA2 budget:
EUR 44 775.45
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Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Vlora Region
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Name:
Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Vlora Region
Address:
Pallati I Kukures Laberia, Kati I pare,Skele Vlore, Albania
Legal status:
public
Total budget:
EUR 37 515.00
IPA2 budget:
EUR 31 887.75
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ΕΠΙΜΕΛΗΤΗΡΙΟ ΘΕΣΠΡΩΤΙΑΣ
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Name:
ΕΠΙΜΕΛΗΤΗΡΙΟ ΘΕΣΠΡΩΤΙΑΣ
Address:
Agion Apostolon 55, 46100 Igoumenitsa, Greece
Legal status:
public
Website:
http://www.e-thesprotias.gr
Total budget:
EUR 82 213.00
IPA2 budget:
EUR 69 881.05
