by Rocio Robles, Dissemination leader, Aquaculture Technological Cenrer of Andalusia (CTAQUA), Muelle Commercial s/n, 11510 El Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz, Spain and Constantinos C. Mylonas, Project Coordinator, Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Center for Marine Research (HCMR), Iraklion, Crete, Greece
“DIVERSIFY”: EU project exploring the biological and socio-economic potential of new/emerging candidate finfish species for the expansion of the European aquaculture industry
DIVERSIFY began in December 2013 to acquire the necessary knowledge for the diversification of the European Aquaculture production based on new/emerging finfish species.
The project has a total budget of €11.8 million for its 5 year duration (2013-2018), making it one of the largest research projects in the area of aquaculture funded by the European Commission.
DIVERSIFY has identified a number of new/emerging finfish species, with great potential for the expansion of the EU aquaculture industry.
These fishes are fast growing and/or large species marketed at a large size and can be processed into a range of value-added products in order to provide the consumer with a greater diversity of fish species and products.
The fish species included are meagre (Argyrosomus regius), greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili); wreckfish (Polyprion americanus) and Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus).
In addition, the omnivorous and euryhaline grey mullet (Mugil cephalus) is also included, as it can be produced in a wide variety of environments and using low cost feed with small amounts or no fish meal/oils, and the pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) as a good freshwater species for recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS).
Each of the species selected for DIVERSIFY has the potential to grow in the market and to produce value-added products.
Their biological and economical potential are expected to stimulate the growth of the European aquaculture sector. Reproduction & Genetics Great success has been achieved in the control of reproduction of greater amberjack.
Spontaneous natural spawns have been obtained in tanks in the Canary Islands (Spain), while in the Mediterranean Sea stocks the use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) implants has resulted in the production of large numbers of good quality eggs
(Fig. 1).
“DIVERSIFY”: EU project exploring the biological and socio-economic potential of new/emerging candidate finfish species for the expansion of the European aquaculture industry
DIVERSIFY began in December 2013 to acquire the necessary knowledge for the diversification of the European Aquaculture production based on new/emerging finfish species.
The project has a total budget of €11.8 million for its 5 year duration (2013-2018), making it one of the largest research projects in the area of aquaculture funded by the European Commission.
DIVERSIFY has identified a number of new/emerging finfish species, with great potential for the expansion of the EU aquaculture industry.
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| Fig. 1 greater amberjack given GnRHa implants 1 |
The fish species included are meagre (Argyrosomus regius), greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili); wreckfish (Polyprion americanus) and Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus).
In addition, the omnivorous and euryhaline grey mullet (Mugil cephalus) is also included, as it can be produced in a wide variety of environments and using low cost feed with small amounts or no fish meal/oils, and the pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) as a good freshwater species for recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS).
Each of the species selected for DIVERSIFY has the potential to grow in the market and to produce value-added products.
Their biological and economical potential are expected to stimulate the growth of the European aquaculture sector. Reproduction & Genetics Great success has been achieved in the control of reproduction of greater amberjack.
Spontaneous natural spawns have been obtained in tanks in the Canary Islands (Spain), while in the Mediterranean Sea stocks the use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) implants has resulted in the production of large numbers of good quality eggs
(Fig. 1).
Read more HERE.
Read the full article HERE.
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