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Alkesh Sharma Emirates Business
Ushering in an innovative technology ‘aqua-agro’ that could ensure constant supply of land nutrients even to aquatic life, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences is looking forward to establish research ties with the Emirates.
A high-level delegation of the leading European varsity visited the UAE and held talks with various educational and research institutes in the region. Considering the presence of abundant coral reef and long coastline in the UAE, this technology could be a game-changer in the long run, experts affirmed.
“We have developed a cutting-edge technology named aqua-agro and initial outcomes are really encouraging. The technology is helping to achieve the full-circle-cycle where nutrients that are used or produced on land can also be recaptured in the water. We have developed a technical mechanism, where these nutrients keep leaking in the adjoining water regularly,†Anders Kiessling, Professor in Aquaculture at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, told Emirates Business.
“We are basically connecting the nutrients from the horticulture with the aquatic life like fish or shrimps. This process works vice-versa as thanks to intensive microbial activities, we can again get back the useful nutrients to the horticulture, thereby achieving a full-circle,†pointed out Kiessling.
This model could be implemented even under controlled conditions like in laboratories and could significantly help in increasing the fish output.
According to a report by the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), per capita fish consumption across the GCC is estimated at 10-kg per year. However, the UAE leads regional per capita consumption rankings at 24-kg per year, even 5-kg higher than the global average.