Trials of new sustainable diets for gilthead seabream and sea bass developed under the Pep4Fish project are already underway in a real production environment, in a phase that represents a decisive step in validating the project’s results at commercial scale.

The tests are taking place at Seaculture, a company of Jerónimo Martins Agro-Alimentar and a consortium partner, which takes on the role of the project’s final demonstrator, evaluating the performance of these new formulations under real aquaculture production conditions, at its offshore aquaculture project in the Algarve.

Under evaluation are experimental diets enriched with new protein hydrolysates, that is, innovative ingredients obtained from the transformation of proteins from underused resources into compounds that are easier for the fish to absorb. In simple terms, they function as advanced nutritional ingredients that help strengthen the health, robustness, and growth of the fish, while promoting more sustainable aquaculture feed, in a logic of circular bioeconomy.

“We are evaluating the performance of the fish on these new diets in a production environment, given that the initial laboratory results point to very positive indicators, particularly in terms of growth and the reduction of mortality rates,” says Pedro Encarnação, executive director of Seaculture.

For Seaculture, this phase of the project reflects the transition from research to practical application, demonstrating how innovation in aquaculture feed can help address central challenges of the sector, such as the resilience of production systems, the sustainability of ingredients, and the quality of the fish.

A FOCUS ON THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY

One of Pep4Fish’s ambitions is precisely to reduce dependence on conventional raw materials, promoting more sustainable alternatives and strengthening more circular value chains. By incorporating high-value-added ingredients obtained from the valorisation of underused resources, the project seeks to contribute to an aquaculture that is less dependent on finite resources and more aligned with the principles of the circular economy.

“This project allows us to explore solutions that strengthen the sustainability of production and, at the same time, promote animal welfare. We believe that more robust and healthier fish are also reflected in a higher-quality final product,” adds Pedro Encarnação.

The trials now underway represent a critical stage of the project, allowing the potential of these new diets to be validated at commercial scale before future wider application in the sector.

Pep4Fish brings together nine business and scientific partners – AgroGrIN Tech, B2E CoLAB, CIIMAR, the School of Biotechnology of the Portuguese Catholic University, ITS, Savinor, Sebol, Sorgal, and Seaculture – and is part of the Blue Bioeconomy Pact, funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP).

The project is focused on developing new solutions for aquaculture feed that combine innovation, sustainability, and resource valorisation, promoting more efficient production aligned with the principles of the circular bioeconomy.

By reaching the open-sea testing phase, Pep4Fish moves closer to its central goal: transforming science and by-products into new solutions for a more sustainable, resilient, and future-oriented aquaculture.