New value chain at IMTA lab Ireland ASTRAL D2.2

This deliverable was created as part of the WP2 ‘New IMTA value chains and production methods’ of the EU H2020 All Atlantic Ocean Sustainable, Profitable and Resilient Aquaculture (ASTRAL) project and deals with the production value chain of IMTA Lab Ireland (Figure 1) adapted from Bostock et al.1. Other aspects of the value chain are addressed in investigations and reports compiled by other Work Packages in ASTRAL (see ASTRAL deliverables 4.1, 4.4, 6.3, 7.7, https://www.astral-project.eu/deliverables). The deliverable provides information on the trials undertaken at the open water marine research site for each of the species produced at IMTA Lab Ireland.
The overall objective of IMTA Lab Ireland was to develop and validate cost-effective IMTA in an open water aquaculture production site. To achieve this objective, the cultivation environment was monitored to provide information on growth of the chosen species along with biosecurity, species health and system health monitoring. Trials to optimise culture technology using differing containment methods were undertaken. Data on the 11 trialled open water IMTA species was generated, which will positively support the uptake of IMTA by existing and future aquaculture producers both international and local. This information will enhance the sustainability of aquaculture into the future, as IMTA practices become a more common method of seafood production allowing the advancement of more circular production systems. These findings have contributed towards the development of new, sustainable, profitable, and resilient value chains for IMTA production within the ASTRAL project and within the framework of existing, emerging and potential Atlantic markets.