Recirculation Aquaculture Multi-trophic Pond Systems (RAMPS)

Project Summary

Recirculating Aquaculture Multi-trophic Pond systems (RAMPS) is an innovative project aimed at expanding Irelands freshwater aquaculture sector. As aquaculture faces increasing pressure from a legislative and licensing point of view, innovative new methods of culture are required to address these constraints. The RAMPS project seeks to explore the potential for developing multi trophic freshwater systems on marginalised agricultural land and cutaway peatlands. Using algae and duckweed to treat fish waste and recirculating water in pond systems thereby reducing discharges and abstraction.

The aquaculture sector in Ireland faces increasing pressures as it seeks to develop sustainably. Environmental legislation has limited expansion in recent years and curtailed development. The RAMPS project seeks to aid significant expansion in areas which hitherto have been excluded from aquaculture development as they were seen as unsuitable for traditional production techniques. The majority of Irish freshwater farms producing salmon and trout have been based on river systems, abstracting water, utilising it and discharging back into the system, in many cases with minimal treatment. This project seeks to modify traditional flow through systems by developing multi trophic units which recirculate water and utilise naturally occurring duckweed and algae to remediate wastes. An ancillary benefit of such systems is that they have the potential to not only develop as circular economy projects but produce commercially viable protein which can be abstracted from the algae and duckweed.

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