IDMA

The Integrated Multi-trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) has been proposed as an innovative method of aquaculture development that ensures sustainable development, in agreement with the EU guidelines with the EU actions for Blue Growth and Blue Economy. It is defined as the cultivation of two or more aquatic species from different trophic levels in the same, in order to mimic the energy flow of natural ecosystems. As a result, IMTA can maximize the productivity and cost-effectiveness of marine aquaculture through the exploitation of soluble and insoluble substances that have so far been lost by a conventional monoculture. It is an innovative technique that has been tested in aquaculture facilities outside the EU, but their development is not as widespread in Europe and especially in Greece. The main objective of the IDMA project is to develop the appropriate methodology for the development of IMTA in the particular conditions of the Greek seas and at the same time to highlight their economic and environmental benefits.

The IDMA project includes a multi sided approach to the issue of IMTA: (1) identifying suitable sites for installation, (2) conducting a techno-economic study to improve the competitiveness of aquaculture units by implementing IMTA methods and studying the legal framework for identifying legislative gaps for starting IMTA projects I the business sector (3) the experimental development of IMTA methods in the Greek seas, (4) the installation of pilot IMTA cages in aquaculture units and (5) the assessment of the performance of different combination of co-culturesd species in different environments, in order to (6) create an “optimal growth roadmap of IMTA in Greece”, which (7) with suitably shaped dissemination activities will be forwarded to all interested parties.

The results of the project will benefit a particularly developed sector in Greece by offering the possibility of commercial exploitation of new species through processes that do not burden the marine environment.