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Graphics Aquaculturehttps://phosphorusplatform.eu/AquacultureFisheries

10-12 June 2025, Bergen (Norway) & online. ESPP workshop, with partners in Norway and with UNEP uPcycle, on nutrient management in aquaculture feed, seafood processing and fish sludge valorisation, covering nutrient flows, environmental best practice, phosphorus recycling, regulatory challenges. The workshop will contribute to the United Nations (UNEP) project uPcycle, leading to a UNEP white paper on  phosphorus sustainability in aquaculture. Site visits: fish sludge collection, algae growth plant. 

The workshop is a EU GREEN WEEK PARTNER EVENT and is organised with the support of the project INNOAQUA (funded by the EU under Grant agreement 101084383).

If you would potentially contribute, please email indications of your organisation’s areas of interest, competence, possible content of presentation, to

Event location

Bergen (Norway) @ NORCE (Nygårdsgaten 112/114, 5008 Bergen) + online.

Outline programme

10 June 2025

13.30 – 14.00 Registration and welcome coffee
14.00 – 14.15                                  

Opening and welcome by organisers 

  • Robert van Spingelen, ESPP
  • Dorinde Kleinegris, NORCE and INNOAQUA project 
  • Ann Cecilie Hilling, NCE Aquaculture
  • Ole Arthur Vaage, Ragn-Sells
  • Will Brownlie, UK CEH
14.15 – 15.45

Perspectives on sustainability in aquaculture

  • Monica Kobayashi, UN Biodiversity Convention: Global context and UN actions on sustainability in the Aquaculture sector - online
  • Torgeir Lassen, Terramarine (Norway): Nutrient recycling in aquaculture: A global perspective
  • Brian Thomsen, Aquaculture Advisory Council (AAC): Valorization of fish sludge/manure
  • Erling Bøhn Hilstad, Andfjords Salmon (Norway): Andfjords Salmon's concept and vision for sustainable aquaculture
  • Constanza Silva, Subsecretaría de Pesca (Chile): Challenges and Solutions for Nutrient Management in the Chilean Aquaculture Sector
15.45 – 16.15 Coffee break
16.15 – 18.00

Parallel session: Aquaculture sustainability, LCA, circular business models

  • Hanna Böpple, NORCE (Norway): sustainability assessment of aquaculture sludge for biogas and microalgae production
  • Kari-Anne Lyng, NORSUS (Norway) and Circulizer project: results of LCA comparison of aquaculture waste management options 
  • Stefan Teerlinck, Inagro (Flander, Belgium): Circularity in fish production: aquaponics, entomoponics and aqua-entomo-ponics - online

Parallel session: Efficiency of use of nutrients in aquaculture feed 

  • Gregosits Balazs, Vitafort (Hungary): Premixes as instruments for nutrient management in livestock and aquaculture feeding
  • .Vegard Flo, Cargill (Norway)
  • Lucia Drábiková, Institute of Marine Research (Norway): Dietary phosphorus requirements in sea-cage farmed Atlantic salmon with emphasis on bone health and reduced waste
  • Turid Synnøve Aas, NOFIMA (Norway): Minerals in aquaculture sludge – amounts and concentrations
  • Simona Paolacci, AquaBioTech Group (Malta): Sustainable ingredients and reduction of the Feed Conversion Rate to reduce aquaculture environmental impact: case studies with Mediterranean species - online
19.30 Networking dinner

11 June 2025

8.30 – 9.00 Registration and welcome coffee
9.00 - 10.30

Taking forward aquaculture nutrient sustainability

  • Pär Larshans, Ragn-Sells (Sweden): Sustainable food production in aquaculture is circular
  • Jon Svenningsen, NCE Aquatech (Norway):
  • Paulo Mira Fernandes, NIVA (Norway): Phosphorus flows and new technologies to re-harvest P from aquaculture sludge

Panel session on "Phosphorus and the blue bio-economy: should Norway have a national phosphorus strategy?". Each year, around 14,000 tons of phosphorus from Norwegian aquaculture are lost to fjords, while up to 11,000 tons could potentially be recovered—an amount that could grow with better technology. Given similar production levels, Europe may have comparable recovery potential. Recovering this phosphorus would not only have economic value but also bring significant environmental and climate benefits. Let’s discuss with Bellona and the panelists how we can turn this untapped resource into a key part of a circular phosphorus strategy.

Panel: Will Brownlie, UK CEH; Jostein Iversen, Grieg; Ole-Arthur Vaage, RagnSells

10.30 - 11.00  Coffee Break
11.00 - 12.45

Parallel session: Aquaculture sludge recycling via algae and biomass growth

  • Dorinde Kleinegris, NORCE (Norway): The INNOAQUA project: the use of microalgae production on aquaculture sludge (reject water), and the use of microalgae in food and feed.
  • Riccardo Capolla, STAM (Italy): Harnessing Microalgae for Circular Wastewater Treatment and Improved Agricultural Production: From Space Technology to Aquaculture Integration
  • Zhitao Huang, NIVA (Norway): Uptaking nutrients with microalgae: circular strategies for the fish sector
  • Siri Caspersen, SLU (Sweden): use of nutrients from aquaculture as a nutrient source for plant cultivation
  • Daniel Pleissner, Institut für Lebensmittel und Umweltforschung e.V. (ILU, Germany): A decentralized algae-based bioprocess for the conversion of aquaculture residues with low climate impact (CLIMAQUA project) - online
  • Carlos Octavio Letelier-Gordo, DTU (Denmark): valorisation of Recirculating Aquaculture System effluents

Parallel session: Recycling of aquaculture sludge to agriculture and nutrient recycling

  • Paulo Mira Fernandes, NIVA (Norway): Phosphorus flows and new technologies to re-harvest phosphorus from aquaculture sludge
  • Callum Howard, MRAG (UK): Sludge collection in Recirculating Aquaculture System and the implications for down stream applications
  • Elin Larsson, EasyMining (Sweden): Nutrient Recovery from Aquaculture Sludge using EasyMining Technology
  • Maria Magdalena Estevez Rego, Aquateam COWI (Norway): Effects of fish sludge as a co-digestion substrate on the methane yield, biorest’s nutrients and heavy metals content
  • Linn Solli, NIBIO (Norway): Marine residues (fish sludge and silage) as substrate for biogas production
  • Astrid Nesse, NIBIO (Norway): Fish sludge as fertiliser – potential and barriers
  • Roy Olav Hovlid, Fjell Technology Group (Norway): Wastewater treatment in aquaculture: present and future perspectives
12.45 – 13.45 Lunch
13.45   – 14.45                            

Regulatory obstacles to aquaculture nutrient recycling

  • Matjaz Klemencic, European Commission (DG SANTE): Regulatory status of aquaculture wastes/by-products under the EU Animal By-Products legislation - online
  • Chris Thornton, ESPP: Regulatory status of aquaculture outputs in EU fertilising product and other regulations
  • Victoria Røyseth and Torhild Tveito Compaore, Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Norway): Regulatory Challenges of recycling of aquaculture sludge
  • Veronika Sele, Institute of Marine Research (Norway): upcycling of aquaculture sludge to feed for invertebrates: nutrients and contaminants, and regulatory challenges
14.45 – 15.45 UNEP uPcycle white paper discussion, led by Will Brownlie, UK CEH
15.45 – 16.00 Closing

12 June 2025

9.00 Optional site visit to National Algaepilot Mongstad or to Lerøy Seafood fish farm with sludge recovery in Skaftå.

Registration

Available on Eventbrite (registration for participating in Bergen closing on 6th June).

Site visits description

  • National Algaepilot Mongstad

 The National Algaepilot Mongstad is a state-of-the-art research facility dedicated to the development and demonstration of sustainable production processes of microalgae (TRL 5-6), as well as for the production of large quantities (100’s of kilos) of microalgal biomass for further testing and development of new products (food, feed, chemicals). For example, in the INNOAQUA project,  around 200 kg of microalgal paste of three different microalgae strains were produced, that are now tested in a biorefinery approach to extract various ingredients (e.g., omega-3 rich oils, proteins, pigments) that are used for food formulation. The facility consists of a greenhouse with various types of photobioreactors, and a basic laboratory and office as well as the related infrastructure (water treatment, harvesting equipment) in the annex, and is owned by the University of Bergen, and operated in close collaboration with NORCE. During the visit, you will have the opportunity to tour the facilities, and gain insights into our research initiatives and technological advancements.
The facility is located at industry park Mongstad, approximately one hour north-west from Bergen. We will travel to the facility by bus, leaving at 09h00 from Marineholmen (Thormøhlensgate 55, 5006) in Bergen, back around 12h30. Fare for the visit is 20€.
For more information, please contact Dorinde Kleinegris:

Mongstad.png

  • Lerøy Seafood location in Skaftå

    Participants will visit one of Lerøy Sjøtroll’s aquaculture facilities in Sørfjorden near Osterøy, where a pioneering sludge collection system has been developed in collaboration with FRAMO Lift Up and Aquapro. This system effectively captures natural waste such as uneaten feed and fish faeces from net-pens using a fine-meshed net and filtration process. The collected sludge is pumped into surface tanks and transported by boat to Denmark and Norway, where it is converted into biogas. This visit offers a unique opportunity to explore sustainable waste management practices in aquaculture within a sensitive fjord environment.

Ragn Sells vist

Meeting point: Bergen Harbour 12 June at 09.00
Time: Thursday 12 June at 09.00 – 12.00

09.00  Departure from Bergen harbour                                                                                               
10.00  Arrival location and visit
11.00  Departure from location
12.00  Arrival at Bergen harbour

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