The Islandap project generates knowledge in a huge number of fi elds

correct temperature throughout its stay in the cold store.

Proximity to other continents is a factor to exploit

Th e company is now focusing on its commercial operations to make the most of its strategic location close to diff erent markets while being part of the European Union and governed by EU rules and regulations says Nina Ström, Commercial Manager. A drive to acquire new business will focus on these facts and inform potential clients of the advantages of this location and what it could mean for their logistics and supply chains to be close to markets on other continents. Th e primary target of these eff orts is companies that fi sh in the waters close to the Canary Islands, but also companies that could use Frioluz as a base from where they can quickly reach out to their customers. As Mr Barber says, a base in the Canary Islands could reduce the risk that a consignment from northern Europe to Africa gets stuck in a container thereby increasing the time that the product is in transit. And, in addition to benefi ting from the services off ered by Frioluz, using its facilities will now contribute to the customer’s green credentials.

Frioluz Coldstore

Muelle Grande, s/n Edifi cio Frioluz Coldstore, Portal B-10 35008 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Spain

Tel.: +34 928 327 200 info@frioluz.es www.frioluz.es

Managing director: Segundo

Barber

Commercial manager:

Nina Ström Cold store area: 6,000 sq. m, 11 m high Capacity: 20,000 tonnes or >7,000 pallets Temperature: -25 degrees C Shelving: Fixed and mobile Quay: Seven docking points for vessels up to 120 m Access doors: 12, allowing vessels to unload directly into the cold store Forecourt: >2,000 sq. m for containers

Annual electricity generation

from solar panels: 1,600 MWh

The Islandap project generates knowledge in a huge number of fi elds

Sharing results for better outcomes

The Islandap project sought to enhance research, development and innovation within the fi eld of aquaponics as practiced in the EU outermost regions of the Canary Islands, Madeira, and on Cape Verde. In addition, the project aimed to create a multidisciplinary network to promote primary sustainable production, bioresource revaluation, biotechnology, circular economy, and education.

Aquaponics, the cultivation of fi sh and plants in conjunction, is an example of a circular economic activity, where pollutants from the fi sh are removed and used by the plants leaving behind water that can be returned to the fi sh. Th e circular economy is considered a solution to the widespread depletion of resources and to the generation of vast quantities of waste and pollution. It is a way of rethinking growth to minimise negative impacts and to enhance sustainability. Islandap, which concluded in December 2020, aimed to foster research between institutions on Cape Verde, the two outermost regions, and the mainlands (Spain, Portugal) that would benefi t the food production sector on the islands making it more innovative and productive. Th ere was an emphasis on improving aquaponic production to increase effi ciency. Th e project also forged closer links between universities and research bodies at the regional level by exchanging staff and providing training to increase participation in European projects by institutions and their staff on the islands. Another objective was to create a regional network for research and innovation within the fi elds of sustainable development, aquaponics, and the circular economy.

Increasing the effi ciency of aquaponics systems

Th e research, technological development, and innovation achieved by Islandap led to

Dr Lidia Esther Robaina Robaina, principal researcher in the Islandap Advanced project that is investigating circular economy systems and in particular aquaponics.

Islandap Advanced, a further iteration of the original project that has new objectives on food safety, waste reduction and effi cient use of resources on Cape Verde and the two outermost regions that participated in Islandap. Th e new project, which runs from 2021, should contribute to the sustainable development of the islands thereby helping to maintain biodiversity and create green jobs.

Broodstock of several species of fi sh, both new species and old, are grown in these tanks to study their biology and spawning behaviour.

It is divided into three phases of which the fi rst will deal with the production of fi sh and vegetables in aquaponics systems using fresh water and salt water. In this phase, sustainable diets for the fi sh will be formulated and tested, the area of expertise of the principal researcher, Dr Lidia Robaina. In addition, experiments to integrate the production of worms and polychaetes into the system will also be conducted and the potential of alternative plants, and microalgae will be tested. In the second phase the system will be improved through automation, the use of information technology, and water and energy saving measures. Finally, in the third phase eff orts will be dedicated to fi netuning the operations and analysing the data generated by the waste management to understand its applicability in other sectors such as water purifi cation and even tourism.

A building that refl ects the visions of its occupants

Th e project is based at the Marine Scientifi c Technological Park at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the coordinator of the project. Th ere are different groups working on topics related to marine science that are based in the park, of which four of them together form EcoAqua, a university institute that is dedicated to postgraduate teaching and research within sustainable aquaculture practices and conservation and sustainable use of marine and coastal resources. Among the groups is the Aquaculture Research Group, where Dr Robaina is involved, and which started some 30 years ago. Th e building housing the groups itself refl ects the EcoAqua vision. Th e construction is environmentally friendly, and the building is well insulated and with facilities to treat the water that leaves the laboratories and the fi sh tanks. EcoAqua essentially studies the sustainable growth of aquaculture, for example by moving it off shore or inland with the support of new and soft technologies, so that production volumes can increase but with less or little impact on the environment. In marine waters fi n fi sh production in Spain is largely split between seabass and seabream and within EcoAqua one of the lines of research is to gain an even better understanding of these species to see how they can be produced more sustainably. Another area of study is the identifi cation of new species for cultivation which will open up new opportunities for the Spanish aquaculture sector at a time of stiff competition from seabass and seabream producers around the Mediterranean. Amberjack (Seriola dumerili) is a new species, the commercial farming of which is expected to increase soon in warm waters and also on the Canary Islands. EcoAqua has been involved in several projects concerning this species. Amberjack is a high trophic level fi sh with rapid growth and of high quality, and the researchers have been looking at how to better manage the fi sh, its culture conditions and diet specifi city to increase feed conversion along the whole life cycle and reduce the environmental impact of its cultivation.

A biofi lter where wastewater from the fi sh tanks is detoxifi ed using plants.

Interest in low trophic level fi sh species

Th e focus on aquaponics has led to the breeding of tilapia which is one of the species most suited to this kind of cultivation. Th e researchers are looking at moving to low trophic level production which is another way of increasing sustainability, says Dr Robaina. In terms of low trophic level species, Dr Robaina and her group have been working with mullet. We want to move to low trophic level fi sh, and to promote the connection between saltwater and freshwater, she says. With good water management salt water used to grow the fi sh can be used for growing halophytic (salt-tolerant) marine plants before being desalinated and used to irrigate the plants in a fresh water aquaponics system.

Th e facility is located on the coast so obtaining saltwater is easy. Th e water is supplied to fi shcontaining tanks and is increasingly recirculated with little addition of fresh water. During the recirculation process impurities are removed by the biofi lters and when it fi nally leaves the system it is monitored at the outlet to ensure that the quality approaches that of the inlet water. Th e idea behind recirculating salt water is to reduce the energy consumed by pumping the water from the sea and to ensure that the water does not contain pathogens or other undesirables which could more easily enter the facility if the water was not recirculated. So, the correct degree of recirculation means a safer and more sustainable system which is used mostly for broodstocks and small larvae. Th e species being grown in the facility include broodstock of meagre, two species of mullet (thicklip grey mullet and golden grey mullet), seabream, seabass, and some species of Seriola.

Larvae and juvenile fi sh are grown in tanks and monitored for traits like disease resistance and growth rate.

Th ey are taken from the wild when small and placed in tanks and allowed to grow, mature and, hopefully, spawn. Th e aim is to reproduce the conditions in nature as closely as possible and allow the fi sh to spawn naturally, says Dr Robaina, though spawning can be induced if necessary. Th e golden grey mullet, for example, was introduced to the facility four years ago, has spawned once last year already and is expected to do so again in 2022. Th e mullets are particularly interesting because they used to be eaten in the past, but now tend to be ignored in favour of carnivorous species like seabass and seabream. Dr Robaina and her team would like to learn more about the biology of the mullets to breed them, but also to promote them to consumers as species that can be produced sustainably because of their omnivorous diets and suitability to growth under diff erent conditions.

Creating products as well as markets

Th us, another aspect of the work being done at the facility relates to creating a market for new species with the help of chefs, market research, quality control of production both of the fi sh and the plants, and targeted communication. Much of the work in the Islandap Advanced project is being done on unexplored territory, what species of fi sh to select, which plants to grow them with etc., and this off ers a lot of scope for innovation in diff erent areas, says Dr Robaina. In the project one of the aims is to identify which halophytes on the diff erent islands (Canaries, Madeira, and Cape Verde) will be most interesting for consumers and worth pursuing as potential plants to produce in an aquaponics system. Salicornia is a popular example of a halophyte that can be used for culinary purposes, but there are many more such plants that could potentially be used for human consumption.

Dr Robaina’s research area is sustainable ingredients for aquafeeds. Th e waste from the fi sh and the eff ect it has on the plants is directly related to the feed. Other researchers in the project have other specialisations (engineers, ecologists, economist, agriculture, composting, microalgae, etc.). But the knowledge generated is shared between the scientists creating a common pool from which everyone can draw and be inspired. Concerning the new species, the scientists are studying many diff erent aspects so as to gain a better understanding of the fi sh, its habits and preferences, the optimal feeds and living conditions. Fish are also being selected for desirable traits such as rapid growth and disease resistance. Experiments with production systems are also being performed, for example, to fi nd the optimal ratio between this novel cultured fi sh and plants and whether these systems can be made to work at scale inside buildings. Th is would enable them to be built within cities close to the consumer. Lighting is also being tested to see whether it has any impact on plant growth rates. Plants that are grown in the aquaponics system are also subjects of research, not only to fi nd out how well they grow in conjunction with the fi sh, but to understand their physiology and the role they play in the natural environment.

Sharing knowledge widely is also a component of the circular economy

Th e project is also investigating how to reduce energy consumption using smart installations that will automatically turn off energy-consuming appliances when their services are not needed. And renewable energy sources are being studied to establish whether the system can be powered exclusively by windmills and solar panels. Another link is being established with the tourist industry, where some of the waste generated by tourists, for example, coff ee grounds, is being researched for its potential to have value added to it. In the case of coff ee grounds, some researchers are working on their potential in fi sh diets, as well as on the energy requirements of the logistics of collecting them from hotel kitchens and bringing them to the laboratory, while others are assessing their potential for use in spa treatments. Whatever the result, the knowledge generated is made available, so if it cannot be used by Islandap there may be some other fi eld where researchers can put it to good use. For Dr Robaina the circular economy means more than the waste from one process being used as the raw material for another. It is also the generation of knowledge that is shared by researchers in diff erent disciplines. Th is way, the results, even if they do not directly benefi t the creator, can be used in some other context.

Islandap Advanced

Instituto EcoAqua Marine Science Park Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Carretera de Taliarte 35200 Telde, Gran Canaria Spain

Tel.: +34 609 060 378 islandapadvanced@ulpgc.es https://islandapadvanced.ulpgc. es/en/ Principal researcher: Dr Lidia

Esther Robaina Robaina Objective: Research, development and innovation in aquaponics and circular economy Benefi ciaries: Cape Verde, Canaries, Madeira Start date: 12 June 2022 End date: 31 October 2022 Support: European Regional

Development Fund