Continental aquaculture and new technologies. Aids

Aids for aquaculture

On November 29, the grants for aquaculture from the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha were published with the purpose of”Encourage the adoption of measures in aquaculture farming systems that result in the protection and improvement of the environment”

These grants are included in the”Operational Program for Spain 2014-2020” of the FEMP (European Maritime and Fisheries Fund) approved by the European Commission in November 2015. The fact that this program was approved meant that Spain entered the list of countries with an Operational Program available to mobilize 1,161.6 million euros, from the Community budget.

Specifically, inland aquaculture activity fell within priority 2 “Promoting sustainable aquaculture”. In addition, Europe identified as a priority action productive investments aimed at promoting the competitiveness and viability of aquaculture enterprises, the consolidation of technological development, innovation and knowledge transfer, the protection and restoration of aquatic biodiversity and the enhancement of ecosystems and the promotion of efficient aquaculture together with the protection of the environment.

The situation in Spain

Spain is the country in the world with the highest number of reservoirs per inhabitant, according to WWF there are around 1,300, and we also have 2,500 alpine lakes larger than 0.2 ha in the large mountain ranges (Pyrenees, Sierra Nevada, Central System, Iberian System, Cantabrian Mountains), 50 karst lakes in Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Girona, Huesca and Lleida, 11 large hydrographic basins with numerous temporary and permanent river courses, more than 500 lakes generated by mining activities and around 800 wetlands larger than 0.2 ha, including shallow lakes and reservoirs (Álvarez Cobelas et al. 2005)

In recent years, numerous scientific studies have been published related to the impacts of climate change in the aquaculture sector, in fact, the Spanish Aquaculture Observatory (OESA), published in 2014 a compilation of references of scientific and technical studies on the impacts of climate change at a general level and its repercussions on the aquaculture sector, in order to establish adaptation strategies. In this publication, they stress the immediate and paramount need to prepare a comprehensive assessment of the impact of projected climate change on Spanish aquaculture, in order to assess its vulnerability and explore adaptation options that minimize these impacts.

Spain is currently suffering one of the most devastating droughts in history, 2017 will be remembered as the driest year since 1965, the average rainfall is 20 percent lower than other years, and in some basins the percentage reaches 65 percent. There is talk of chronic drought in basins such as Jucar, Segura and Duero.

The consequences of this drought for inland aquaculture are clear, and it can be expected that these ecosystems will be seriously damaged, since the levels and flows of most rivers, lakes, reservoirs and wetlands are very directly linked to short-term precipitation. In addition, water temperature is directly related to the increase in global air temperature caused by the effect of increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

The decrease in flow rates will cause a decrease in the concentration of dissolved oxygen, especially important if, in addition, there is organic pollution and an increase in temperature. Temperature increases will increase soil nitrification and, through runoff, nitrate in rivers (Jenkins et al. 1993). And the same will happen with organic nitrogen in predominantly agricultural basins (Bernal et al. 2003).

Technicians warn that, as a result, native trout populations will fractionate as their habitat shrinks, a fact that would favor processes of genetic drift and, eventually, speciation. In this process, actions to reintroduce and manage species of fish interest can be decisive in the evolution of local populations.

They also warn that, in the case of ichthyofauna, one of the consequences of the increase in water temperature is the generation of new physiological tolerance optimists that could allow warm-water species to expand, adapt and establish self-sustainable populations, as well as promote the establishment of introduced exotic species. On the other hand, and as has already been seen, the new conditions could cause a movement of species adapted to colder waters, thus leaving an empty niche that could potentially be occupied by exotic species.

Nowadays we all accept that it is impossible to avoid climate change in its entirety and that we only have to increase our capacity to adapt. Investments in research, development and innovation, as well as technology transfer, play an important role in adapting to climate change. It is vitally important that technological transfer reaches small producers and here the policies of adaptation to climate change of all national, regional and local governments and administrations play a very important role as an essential tool in the fight against this global threat.

And how can new technologies influence more sustainable aquaculture?

Logically, sustainable aquaculture can only be achieved with production that is not only economic, but fundamentally environmental, with an effort to implement legislative and control measures.

Collaboration between the fishing industry and information and communication technologies (ICT) is essential. Technologies can be an optimal tool for developing new control mechanisms, process automation and product traceability until its arrival on the market.

In fact, the General Secretariat of Fisheries published in its”Strategic Plan for Innovation and Technological Development for Fisheries and Aquaculture 2014-2020”, such as objectives pursued, among others:

• Determine the priority lines of innovation and technological development in the different areas of the sector
• Present and analyze the technological needs and capacities and the existing innovation tools available to the sector at the national level.

All these programs and plans drawn up by governments seem to indicate that a greater deployment of new technologies in aquaculture is indeed essential, but then why is Spain lagging behind other countries in the use of these technologies?

The problems to be solved

The problems are many and varied:

• Insufficient institutional coordination
• poor business management and production sizing.
• Little tradition of R+D+i in the company and improved cooperation between companies
• Etc...

ICT companies such as Vermon we provide our knowledge and direct involvement with the producer and serve as a link between the different actors involved.

Knowing the real needs of our customers and the problems they face gives us a different vision of the reality of the sector. Applying this knowledge to this reality of aquaculture facilities is not easy, it represents a challenge and a responsibility on our part.

We are aware that the best competitive strategy for the sector and that could bring the greatest benefit to producers is differentiation and quality, guaranteeing an environmentally sustainable industry with the application of new knowledge in technological innovation.