Promote the effective implementation of the Product Environmental Footprint in the Mediterranean aquaculture sector

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) is one of the main initiatives for promoting product sustainability. PEF is a multi-criteria measure of the environmental performance of a good or service throughout its life cycle. Its purpose is to provide harmonised information which allows companies to focus strategies on the main causes of the problem, and to reduce the environmental impacts of goods and services, considering supply chain activities (from extraction of raw materials, through production and use, to final waste management).

 

The European Commission developed PEF methodology in support of the EU's Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe. However, much work needs to be done in support of PEF implementation in many sectors, including aquaculture. Fish farms help meet rising demand for fish and fishery products, but they can also have negative environmental impacts, including on water quality (eutrophication), benthic (seabed) biodiversity, and diseases in wild fish.

 

It is possible to reduce these impacts by implementing innovative techniques, but these should be supported by all stakeholders of the value chain (companies, associations, consumers and statutory bodies).

 

OBJECTIVES

The LIFE AQUAPEF project aimed to develop an integrative methodology and easy-to-use software tool to support the implementation of PEF into the Mediterranean aquaculture sector, facilitating the evaluation, reduction and communication of the environmental impact of aquaculture products.

 

This involved establishing a framework that all stakeholders would accept:

i) designing a standardised and traceable data collection protocol for aquaculture;

ii) obtaining representative datasets for Mediterranean fish farms;

iii) developing an integrative methodology for evaluating environmental performance;

iv) identifying improvement strategies with the greatest environmental impact reduction potential;

v) proposing biological or ecological impact categories to complement the PEF evaluation.

 

The project also aimed to set up 3 studies to demonstrate the potential uses of PEF to reduce the overall environmental impact of aquaculture products, to increase social awareness of sustainable food products and transfer results to the whole EU aquaculture industry.

 

LIFE AQUAPEF was expected to contribute to the implementation of several EU policies, including the Strategic Guidelines for the Sustainable Development of EU Aquaculture, Circular Economy Action Plan, Marine Strategy Framework Directive, 7th Environment Action Programme and Single Market for Green Products.

 

RESULTS

The project has achieved its expected objectives, in particular to promote the implementation of the PEF initiative and methodology in the Mediterranean aquaculture sector by developing an integrative methodology and tool to facilitate data availability and footprint calculation and verification. The software tool for calculating the environmental impacts of aquaculture products was developed and satisfactorily validated.

 

Other specific objectives were also achieved:

1. To create an adequate framework to integrate all stakeholders aiming to implement the product’s environmental footprint in the aquaculture sector actively and in cooperation. The Follow-up Hub was established in March 2019 to analyse and validate the objectives. So far, 10 members are fully committed. Throughout the project, additional efforts have been made to follow up and participate in the technical secretariat of the PEFCR (Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules) marine fish working group. LIFE AQUAPEF has been an active partner in this group with the aim of considering the main barriers of the Mediterranean aquaculture sector in the PEF Category Standards for Marine Fish.
2. To design a standardised data collection protocol for aquaculture sector. Key achievements include the development of specific questionnaires for each stage of the Mediterranean aquaculture value chain. The main datasets used for the impact calculation at each stage have also been selected and data gaps have been identified.
3. To obtain new representative datasets for the Mediterranean aquaculture sector. There has been collaboration with the PEF data working group to ensure that the data gaps for the Mediterranean aquaculture sector will be covered in the future tenders for environmental footprint data.
4. To develop an integrative evaluation method to facilitate PEF calculation and verification. The main goal has been to develop a software in the form of a webtool that can be used as self-assessment of the PEF by aquaculture companies.
5. To obtain an updated overview of the improvement strategies with greater environmental impact reduction potential. An extensive literature review of aquaculture improvements was conducted. Aquaculture companies that have implemented some of the above-reviewed improvements have been identified.
6. To propose biological or ecological impact categories to complement the PEF evaluation. 2 additional impact categories have been identified  to complement the current impact assessment.
7. To reduce the overall environmental impact by 10% through implementing an effective plan of environmental improvement based on the PEF Methodology in three demonstration studies.
8. To increase social awareness towards sustainable food products.
9. To improve the competitiveness of the Mediterranean sustainable aquacultures through an effective communication strategy.