Croatia and Italy are developing digital solutions in aquaculture.

Croatia and Italy are developing a project within the Interreg program aimed at improving conditions in fish and shellfish farms. The EU co-finances the project with 1.5 million euros.

As part of the project “Marinet – Mariculture Network: Application of new technologies for diversified sustainable aquaculture focused on a healthy society and competitive regions”, which was presented on Monday at the Faculty of Tourism Management and Hospitality in Opatija, Croatian and Italian experts will develop an application to monitor the quality of the sea as well as the welfare and health of fish and shellfish in farms.

In the farms, sensors will be installed, and artificial intelligence will process the collected data. Farmers will thus be able to monitor the situation in the farms via smartphones. The application will alert farmers to changes in the environment and those in the appearance and behavior of fish, as reported by the faculty.

Marinet is a European Interreg Italy – Croatia project, which deals with innovations in fish and shellfish farming and strengthening cooperation between Croatia and Italy in this economic sector with the aim of improving biosecurity, environmental sustainability, and the economy of these countries. The project lasts 30 months – from March 1, 2024, to August 30, 2026, its budget is 1.87 million euros, and the European Union co-finances it from the European Regional Development Fund with 1.5 million euros.

The Faculty of Management in Tourism and the Croatian Veterinary Institute cooperate in the project with the Craft Chamber of the Istria County, the University of Udine, the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Venice, and the Mediterranean Aquaculture Association. The project pays great attention to the application of new technologies in the farms themselves, so the Mediterranean Association for Aquaculture will collaborate with fish and shellfish farmers in Italy, and Croatian partners in the project will develop their innovations in cooperation with shellfish farmers gathered in the Craft Chamber of the Istria County and several companies engaged in aquaculture in Croatia, among which the largest are Cromaris and Orada Adriatic. (May 13, 2024)