RAS Course: Introduction to Recirculating Aquaculture Systems

Context:

Aquaculture is a growing industry in the European Union. In recent years, the EU has implemented several policies and initiatives to support the expansion of aquaculture, promoting innovation and research to ensure the long-term viability of the industry. As consumer demand for seafood continues to increase, aquaculture presents a vital opportunity to meet these needs. In this sense, innovative technologies and techniques are being developed and adopted, such as RAS (Recirculating Aquaculture Systems), to address sustainability issues. RAS are land-based fish farm systems that significantly reduce water demand, increase water quality control and facilitate the upcycling of organic waste.

Together with our Norwegian partners at Morefish and the Food4Sustainability CoLAB, BGI presents an online Introductory Course to RAS (16 hours), within the scope of the AmpliAqua project.

AmpliAqua aims to revolutionize conventional fish farming practices by promoting sustainability and efficiency in aquaculture. With a focus on RAS, the project seeks to address the pressing challenges faced by traditional fish farming, including the use of organic waste for hydroponics and microalgae production. Find out more here.

Course Structure
Choose one or more modules/days to attend:

Day 1 (April 29th) - Introduction to Aquaculture, RAS and Water Quality

Day 2 (April 30th) - Biology and Sustainability in RAS

Day 3 (May 7th) - Water Treatment in RAS

Day 4 (May 8th) - Production Plan an Biosecurity in RAS

For whom?

The course is aimed at all aquaculture and sustainable food production enthusiasts. Any fresher can opt for this course, as no biological or aquacultural background is required.

Learning outcomes:

• Understand Aquaculture, Aquaponics, and RAS Systems principles.
• Learn RAS operations, including water quality management.
• Explore environmental impacts on conservation, energy use, and waste management.
• Gain insight into fish farming practices in RAS environments.
• Develop skills in identifying and addressing common problems and challenges found in RAS systems.
• Analyze a real-world RAS case study - AmpliAqua.

Benefits:

• Access to expert-led training sessions on RAS and sustainable aquaculture practices.
• Opportunity to expand knowledge and skills in a growing industry.
• Certification upon completion of the course.
• Networking opportunities with professionals in the aquaculture sector.
• Contribution to the advancement of sustainable fish farming practices.

Relevant Info:

• The course spans a total of 16 hours, structured into 4 sessions/modules, each lasting 4 hours. Sessions are consistently scheduled from 9 am to 1 pm (WET).
• The sessions will be carried out in English.
• This first edition is supported by our funders, so it only requires a fee of €20 per session at the time of registration. This fee is only to guarantee registration and will be fully refunded upon completion of the selected module(s). Eventbrite requires an additional €2.57 fee that is non-refundable.
• Upon completion of registration, you'll receive links to access the sessions in your email at a later time.
  

Stay tuned for the release of the course agenda, featuring sessions led by experienced professionals in the field.

For further questions:

- Paulo Frias - paulo.frias@food4sustainability.org

- Carolina Pereira - carolina.pereira@bgi.pt

This course is carried out within the framework of AmpliAqua, a project co-financed by the EEA Grants and EIT Food.

About EEA Grants:
As a means of promoting continuous and balanced strengthening of economic and trade relations, the parties to the European Economic Area Agreement have established a multiannual financial mechanism, known as the EEA Grants, through which Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway financially support European Union Member States with the greatest deviations from the European average of per capita GDP, including Portugal.

About EIT Food:

EIT Food is Europe’s leading food innovation initiative, working to make the food system more sustainable, healthy and trusted. EIT Food is on a mission to build an inclusive and innovative community where the consumer is actively involved. EIT Food, established by the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT), is building an inclusive and innovative community of diverse food sector partners, to drive innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe.