DEMO-BLUESMARTFEED (Demonstration project of a smart technology for monitoring the delivery of feed for a sustainable aquaculture) is a 3-year project (2019-2021), funded by the European Commission in the frame of the Sustainable Blue Economy call managed by the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.

Fish feed represents the main production cost (40-50%) for any fish farming company. Therefore, business profitability largely depends on the correct utilization of the feed. Wasting feed not only involves a considerable loss of profitability for fish farmers, but also increases the discharge of particulate organic matter into the environment which is considered as the main environmental impact derived from fish farming.  The wasted feed fraction is very hard to estimate since it strongly depends on the feeding practices at each farm. However, some studies suggest that up to 50% of supply feed could be wasted during the feeding in unfavourable sea conditions if the control is insufficient.

The aim of the DEMO-BLUESMARTFEED project is to validate the SICA technology (smart system for feeding control) in real operational conditions in offshore sea cages in order to speed up its market uptake by one year after the end of the project. The SICA technology will allow fish farmers to reduce significantly the production cost as well as it will minimize the impact of aquaculture by reducing the volume of waste generate from non-eaten feed.