INTEGRATE’s Work Package 4 is engaged in the creation of expert groups to exchange current knowledge of IMTA in the Atlantic Area. The work plan envisages four thematic round-tables per country where key experts from industry, academia, state institutions etc. discuss the gaps, needs and new technologies identified as relevant for each individual Atlantic Area country. IMTA best practice is thus defined at national level before being synthesised into best practice for the Atlantic Area as a whole.
The four roundtables are meant to deal with the following topics:
- Technical.
- Environmental.
- Economic.
- Social.
Expert groups discuss three sub-topics at each of the round-tables: a)Definition of best practice, b) Bottlenecks to the development of best practice, c) Priority areas for development of best practice.
INTEGRATE partners organised the first round-tables to discuss topic 1 between March and May 2018. CTAQUA hosted the Spanish round-table in El Puerto de Santa María on 22 March, IPMA and ALGA+ hosted the Portuguese round-table in Olhão on 12 April, NUIG and ISC hosted the Irish round-table in Galway on 13 April and CEVA and AGROCAMPUS OUEST hosted the French round-table in Rennes on 25 April. .
Partners used different round-table formats depending on the size of the national expert groups and the time available. In most cases they were plenary sessions followed by sub-topic discussions in separate or single groups. The British round-table, however, consisted of a set of interviews with experts hosted by SAMS in the weeks leading up to the Aquaculture UK 2018 conference in Aviemore on 23 & 24 May.
The Spanish expert group had its meeting on 22 March 2018
Round-table discussions were fruitful and experts raised key points that need to be addressed in each of the Atlantic Area countries in order to facilitate a successful transition towards industrial IMTA. Perhaps the most important was the need for a European consensus definition of IMTA . INTEGRATE partners have since agreed to organise a bespoke event where European experts will agree on a suitable definition.
The summary results of the 5 separate round-tables are presented below, according to sub-topic and with details according to partner countries. In general, it was felt that there was a substantial lack of technical expertise, with regard to both production of species for all IMTA components, and knowledge of their interactions. This hampered the ability to define best-practice, and was the major bottleneck to development of IMTA. Contained within ‘technical expertise’ are many distinct factors, as detailed in the table. As anticipated, the bottlenecks and priority areas for development are mirror images of each other.
TOPIC: 1. TECHNICAL
SUBTOPIC: DEFINITION OF BEST PRACTICE
| COMMENTS FROM EXPERT GROUPS | COUNTRY |
| Best practices are generally known for the component species but need to be developed for IMTA specific issues – definition of degree of separation/consideration of pathogen and contaminant transfer/definition of degree of trophic integration | UK |
| What degree of trophic differentiation between species is appropriate i.e. when does polyculture become IMTA? | F, IE |
| What constitutes ‘the same system’, with regard to nutrient flows? | F, UK, IE |
| What are the ‘correct’ relative production volumes? | F, ES |
| Local strains of component species should be used | F, UK, IE |
| Attention should be given to the complementarity of resources e.g. phytoplankton versus macroalgae | F |
| Attention should be given to the complementarity of space, both vertical and horizontal | F |
| Attention should be given to the complementarity of season between organisms in the system | F |
| Design of flows must be suited to operation control systems | ES |
SUBTOPIC: BOTTLENECKS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF BEST PRACTICE
| COMMENTS FROM EXPERT GROUPS | COUNTRY |
| Lack of technical knowledge, skills and tools | F, UK, IE, ES, P |
| Lack of technology transfer from research to industry | |
| Lack of experience hampers up-scaling | |
| Lack of hatcheries/seed stock for IMTA species, particularly benthic/invertebrate component | UK, IE |
| Difficulty in managing several species; the focus is invariably on the primary species | F, IE |
| Interactions between species with regard to e.g. nutrient flows, pathogens and medicines is not yet understood or quantified | F, IE, UK |
| Mismatch in scale of various industries as they are currently practiced | UK |
SUBTOPIC: PRIORITY AREAS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF BEST PRACTICE
| COMMENTS FROM EXPERT GROUPS | COUNTRY |
| Technology transfer/travelling roadshow | IE |
| Production experience and practical trials | UK |
| Development of new species | F, UK, IE |
| Design of IMTA management and control systems | ES |
| Quantification of interactions (nutrient, pathogen, medicine etc.) | F, ES, IE |
| Knowledge of appropriate separation distances and relative spatial requirements | UK, IE |
| Larger installations; scale; critical mass | UK, IE, P |
The second roundtables to discuss topic 4 (social) are expected to take place in November 2018.