Ensuring the sustainability of aquatic ecosystems by ecological fish farming

Summary

Project acronym: EcoFishFarm

Project ID: ROMD00578

Project start date: 2025-06-24

Project end date: 2026-12-23

Project status: ongoing

Relevant linked projects:

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 264 878.50

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 238 390.65

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 90.00%

Co-financing sources:

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

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Deliverables:

Contribution to wider strategies and policies:

• EUStrategyDanubeRegion As project activities will be carried out in the hydrographic basin of the Prut River – a tributary of the Danube River – the project objectives are directly linked with those of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR).
• Primarily, the project is linked to Priority Area 4: Water Quality, as it will contribute to preventing and reducing water pollution generated by fish farming. The water quality will be investigated at sources of water supply for fish ponds, in fish ponds and at the points of discharge of their effluents into natural water bodies. A special attention will be paid to pollution with organic substances and nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus compounds). The monitoring data on the level of pollution will help to promote the best management practices in fish pond culture. Overall, the project results will contribute to protecting surface water resources, and elaboration of the Prut basin (one of the Danube sub-basins) management plan.
• As the biodiversity is strongly linked with the quality of habitats, the studies on the water quality and hydrobiont communities will contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the Priority Area 6: Biodiversity and Landscapes, Quality of Air and Soils. Moreover, in exceptional cases, e.g. floods, destruction of pond dams, there can take place the migration of farmed fish to natural water courses. If such migrations train large amounts of fish, which are transfers of pathogens and parasites, they can provoke damages to the health status of fish natural populations.
• One of the project target group being the SMEs specialized in fish farming, the project activities are linked with the Priority Area 8: Competitiveness of Enterprises. Offered expertise will enhance the competitiveness of SMEs and bring an added value in aquaculture sector, especially in rural areas.
• SeaBasinStrategyBlackSea As the project is built on the regional cooperation in the Prut River basin – part of the Black Sea basin – it will contribute indirectly to the achievement of a more sustainable blue economy in the Black Sea basin and in the Black Sea itself. By promoting the reduction of pollution of freshwater ecosystems and preservation of their biodiversity, the project will contribute to protection of marine ecosystems. Also, the project results will help to increase the productivity of inland aquaculture that shall reduce the pressure on the marine fishery resources.
• Other As the pollution is a key driver of biodiversity loss, its mitigation was set as a target of the EU biodiversity strategy for 2023 (Pillar 2. Restore nature, target: reduce pollution). The project will bring new data on the water pollution risks of fish farming and will make recommendation towards its decrease. The SMEs will be involved in some project activities with the aim of knowledge transfer between researchers and fish farmers, but also to increase their awareness on the business responsibility for biodiversity (Pillar 3. Enabling transformative change; target: build on an integrated and whole-of society approach). Part of the project activities consists in the research and innovation activities, as the science shall deliver green solutions for society (Pillar 3, target: improve knowledge and research). Transfer of knowledge and communication of the project results to general public fit to the strategy target to improve education and skills (Pillar 3).
• As the project addresses several challenges for Romania, an EU country, and the Republic of Moldova, the project will contribute to achievement of objectives of the EU European Eastern Partnership Policy.
• The project objectives fit to the specific objectives 1 (Developing and enhancing research and innovation capacities) and 3 (Enhancing protection and preservation of nature, biodiversity and green infrastructure) of the Black Sea Basin Interreg NEXT Programme.
• Project will help to achieve the National Development Strategy "European Moldova 2030" and the National Development Sustainable Strategy 2013-2030 of Romania by offering solution to diminish the influence of fish farming on surface water, both in terms of quality and quantity, in order to ensure a responsible fish farming from environmental point of view. Within the project, the farmers, representatives of different public authorities and other target groups will learn about the ways of straightening the resilience of fish farming to climate change.

Programme Common Output Indicator:

• RCO 084 - Pilot actions developed jointly and implemented in projects, Measurement unit:
  
• RCO 001 - Enterprises supported (of which: micro, small, medium, large), Measurement unit:
  
• RCO 083 - Strategies and action plans jointly developed, Measurement unit:
  

Programme Common Result Indicator:

• RCR 079 - Joint strategies and action plans taken up by organisations, Measurement unit:
  

Project part of European Union Macro-Regional or Sea Basin Strategy: EUSDR