Fish sludge is currently a large and under utilised resource, while the management of sludge represents a significant economic cost and challenge for the Norwegian aquaculture industry. Regulatory requirements, expectations for more circular resource use and the need to secure access to important nutrients (risk management) mean that increased and improved utilisation of sludge is a prerequisite for Norwegian aquaculture to grow and maintain profitability.
The release of fish sludge to the environment is considered an environmental problem, although the real effect has not yet been accurately quantified. The use of LCA and the extensive data to be gathered in the project should be able to provide an indication of whether the collection and use of sludge has other major negative consequences, such as high energy and material requirements. The results from the project will be able to answer whether the benefits of sludge collection and use are higher than the environmental impacts of the different technological solutions.