Knowledge Measures

Carry out a complete analysis of the technical characteristics of suitable material for aquaculture gear (flexibility, resistance to harsh conditions, corrosion resistant, among others) and life-cycle steps (from production to end-of-life treatment). The analysis of the technical characteristics of suitable material for aquaculture gear and life-cycle steps should result in recommendations on types of materials or mixtures of materials needed to produce the most frequent aquaculture items. If offshore cultivation can be replaced by nearshore production, this would be beneficial to reduce the impact of the harsh offshore environment that can cause accidental losses. If offshore cultivation is needed for bigger production, as is the case for Belgium, a long-term vision for offshore aquaculture is needed specifying the infrastructure that is resistant to this environment and a handling scheme Tracking can be a solution to retrieve high-valued equipment like e.g. floating buoys using a GPS with satellite (alarm). A knowledge sharing platform for researchers studying the forces at sea or/and alternative materials resistant to these forces would be beneficial to the aquaculture farmers to aid the initiation, development and operation of the farms. Long-lasting reusable items that are not lost at sea may still generate microplastics deriving from these items. It would be interesting to cooperate with projects investigating new e.g. composite materials for offshore use. Cooperatives can also organise training sessions for offshore sectors. Organising awareness raising workshops may work depending on who is participating. When researchers, consumers, producers and farmers share experiences, this may increase the understanding of the position of every stakeholder. The combination of education with action is the best approach to make things happen. The aim of the training should be to outline how action can be taken (possibly in a step-by-step approach). Foster cooperation with universities doing material research including their impact on the environment. Cooperation between farmers, gear producers and research institutions can be mutually beneficial. Fouling for example is a phenomenon that should be taken into account in the design phase as it increases the weight of the installation. A risk analysis is important. The type of materials and coatings used is also important and is still being understudied. Continue and increase the knowledge flow of pilot projects, e.g. in the frame of INTERREG Baltic Sea Region programme