03/12/2025
๐ Kicking Off VASEACAD: Turning Fish Biomass Waste into Blue Bioproducts! โป๏ธ
Weโre thrilled to announce the launch of the VASEACAD Project โ "Valorising seafood side streams, residues, unwanted catches and discards for the production of bioactive protein hydrolysates and high added value biomolecules."
This exciting EU-funded research initiative is bringing together partners from across Europe to improve sustainability and circularity in the aquaculture and fisheries sectors. ๐๐
๐งช The project officially kicked off on November 6โ7, hosted by Technological University Dublin. The meeting gathered experts from 10 partners across 7 countries, coordinated by Dr. Azza Naik and Dr. Yannis Kotzamanis from HCMR, Greece. We also visited our industry partner BioAtlantis for a tour of their advanced processing facilities in Tralee, Co. Kerry.
๐ก Why VASEACAD?
Fish processing generates a huge amount of wasteโcommonly discarded or used in low-value products. VASEACAD wants to change that by transforming these โside streamsโ into bioactive compounds that can be used in food, feed, health, and bio-based industries.
๐ฌ Over the next 3 years, we will:
โ๏ธ Develop skin and muscle health products from underutilised fish species like bluefin tuna, seabass, sprat, and more
โ๏ธ Turn solid processing residues into sustainable fish feed ingredients
โ๏ธ Deploy the Mobile Sealab for on-site valorisation in the Mediterranean
โ๏ธ Assess the economic, environmental, and social impact of these solutions to support real-world adoption
๐ The project covers key sea basins โ Mediterranean, Black Sea, and Atlantic Ocean โ with active participation from Greece, Ireland, Malta, Norway, Cyprus, Spain, and Turkey.
๐ค Meet the Partners:
A diverse group of institutions and companies, including:
โข HCMR (Greece)
โข TU Dublin (Ireland)
โข Frederick Research Center (Cyprus)
โข Blue EcoTech (Malta)
โข IRTA (Spain)
โข SINTEF Ocean (Norway)
โข Karadeniz Technical University (Tรผrkiye)
โข Blue Island & Kimagro Fishfarming (Cyprus)
โข BioAtlantis (Ireland)
๐ What success looks like:
๐ฑ Extract high-value biomolecules from fish waste
๐ Close the loop from waste to feed, health, and food products
๐ฆ Deliver product prototypes for nutraceuticals, aquafeeds, and human health
๐ Evaluate and promote large-scale, sustainable use of marine resources
By turning seafood side streams from a waste problem into a valuable resource, VASEACAD is helping to build a cleaner, more sustainable Blue Economy for Europe.
๐ข Stay tuned as we share updates, breakthroughs, and success stories from this exciting journey!
โ
VASEACAD is co-funded by the European Commission and the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP 2024), with national support from participating countries.
