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Fish farming has become one of
the most productive and promising industries in Spain thanks
to increasing consumption of farmed fish in the Basque
country, Euskadi, the huge production levels of mussels in
Galicia and the promotion of aquaculture in the Canary
Islands. |
Galicia produces an annual
average of 250,000
tonnes of mussels.(Photo:FIS Latino) |
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The Diario Vasco reports
that 30 per cent of the fish consumed in Euskadi now comes
from aquaculture. Carlos Fernández Pato, researcher for the
Spanish Oceanography Institute in Santander, says if the
population wants to eat more fish it has to be farmed, not
fished.
Production figures are
impressive. Galicia produces an average of 250,000 tonnes of
mussels, making it the biggest mussel producer in the world.
Cantabrian fish farms produce around 4,000 tonnes of turbot
a year, more than any other European country.
In the same area, the
Tinamenor company had a turnover of approximately EUR 14
million in the year 2000, thanks to sales of 12 million
juvenile sea bass, sea bream and turbot, three different
species of clams and two species of oysters.
In the Canaries, plants
connected to four aquaculture farms have just been opened in
Tenerife. The daily newspaper El Dia reports that
they hope to package around 8,000 kgs of sea bream and sea
bass per day.
Without affecting the strong
fishing activity in the Canaries, the region is putting
funds and effort into taking advantage of the warm waters to
set up fish farms. Pedro Rodríguez Zaragoza, Counsellor of
Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food of the Canarian
Government, said production of 500 million kgs should be
reached this year.
"This activity is essential
for the future of the Canarian fishing sector," he said.
"The islands’ waters are warmer than in the rest of Europe
and here the fish grow more quickly and keep their quality."
Rodríguez Zaragoza said there
were also research aquaculture companies dedicated to
producing native species, such as the bocinegro, sama,
Canarian clam and octopus.
Aquaculture is seen as the
perfect answer to the drop in the fish catch caused by the
ending of the fish-catching agreements with Morocco.
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