Mount Lucas fish farm near Daingean in Co Offaly is a bioeconomy project located on a former Bord na Móna bog.

The zero-waste food production system involves feeding brown trout and using wastewater from fish farming to cultivate duckweed.

The Mount Lucas Circular Bioeconomy Aquaculture Initiative was described by project manager Áine O’Donnell as a real “on the ground” demonstrative project that is driving the bioeconomy in Ireland.

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“What are we doing?

“The short answer is that we are farming fish on the bogs and the slightly longer answer is that we’re building a living demonstration facility that combines peatland restoration, biorefinery and sustainable aquaculture.

“The goal with this initiative is to create a physical site where we can have the infrastructure, the tools and the partnerships needed for developing the next wave of bioeconomy innovation in Ireland,” she said.

The initiative is led by the Technological University of Shannon and has been awarded funding of €5m over five years.