Multi-Trophic Aquaculture

Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) uses by-products from one aquatic species, such as waste, as inputs (fertilisers and food) for another. Farmers combine fed aquaculture (e.g., fish, shrimp) with organic extractive (e.g., shellfish) and inorganic extractive (e.g., seaweed) aquaculture to create balanced systems for environmental remediation (bio mitigation), economic stability (lower costs, higher output, product diversification, and risk reduction), and social (better management practices).  Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture is based on a natural concept: in the food chain, one species will always find a feeding niche in another species' waste. The notion that nutrients provided to finfish would produce high-quality organic and inorganic waste that shellfish and marine plants rely on for growth was thus put to the test. By transforming by-products and uneaten feed from fed organisms into harvestable crops, IMTA promotes economic and environmental sustainability while minimising eutrophication and enhancing economic diversification.

• Designing Multi Approach Systems
• Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture Regulations
• Nutrient Flow and Sustainability