The SAFE project's main objective is to reduce the environmental impact and improve the viability of freshwater aquaculture through the application of circular economy (CE) approaches to the recovery of solid and liquid waste from water recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and integrated multitrophic aquaculture (IMTA).

The economic viability of FW aquaculture will be improved through major advances in management systems and the integration of waste streams from FW aquaculture systems (FWAS) into the aquaculture feed chain. The SAFE project will enable the uptake of these solutions through local and regional scale demonstrations across the EU and will document the necessary management and governance conditions for successful transferability. The multidisciplinary expertise of the consortium across a wide range of systems, species and geographies will target the enhancement of species of particular biodiversity concerns, such as European native crayfish. We will improve the sustainability of FW aquaculture production and investigate the feasibility of diversification through the culture of under-represented species (perch) and valuable crayfish species with declining populations. Lastly, we will compare the experiences of EU FW aquaculture to Chinese FWAS and value chains, the largest, fastest-growing and most diverse aquaculture sector in the world, using mutual knowledge sharing to improve the sustainability of aquaculture in China and the EU. SAFE, through extensive dissemination activities, knowledge transfer programmes, training workshops and collaborative engagement with industry and stakeholders, will support the development of professional skills and competencies of the FW aquaculture both within the EU and partner countries.

The specific objectives are:
- Characterize waste streams from various freshwater aquaculture systems (FWAS);
- Improve the collection, concentration, storage and transport of solid waste using innovative technologies;
- Assess the effects on biodiversity;
- Valorize waste from freshwater aquaculture to produce microalgae, mushrooms and earthworms for use in fish feed;
- Demonstrate new technologies (microalgae harvesting) and concepts (mushroom and earthworm cultivation) for a new sustainable and profitable production of fish feed;
- Characterize the bioactive properties of new ingredients for formulating feed for aquaculture;
- Formulate and produce new sustainable, functional and practical foods, with optimized inclusion levels of biomasses produced in SAFE for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and European perch ( Perch fluviatilis);
- Validate and evaluate the benefits of new functional diets on performance and health, ensuring fish welfare and food safety;
- Value Chain Analysis, including economics, logistics, social and political acceptance;
- Assessment of the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of FWAS;
- Assessment of consumer acceptance of production methods and quality of FWAS products.