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Blue Growth in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea:

Developing Sustainable Aquaculture for Food Security

Regional Aquaculture Conference 2014, 9-11 December, Bari, Italy

Maria Emília Cunha (micunha@ipma.pt) Hugo Quental Ferreira, Florbela Soares, Domitília Matias, Sandra Joaquim,

Laura Ribeiro, Pedro Pousão Ferreira

Estação Piloto de Aquacultura de Olhão, Portugal

Improving land based

aquaculture development

and environmental

protection by using

Integrated Multi-Trophic

Aquaculture (IMTA) in

earthen ponds

486 t

46%

11 t

1%

555 t

53%

Seabass

Seabream

Others

124 h

10%

343 h

28%

780 h

62%

Extensive

Intensive

Semi-intensive

Year 2012

Area of Licensed Entreprises - 1583 hectars

1574 h

99%

9 h

1%Freshwater

Brackish/Marine

449 t

11%

338 t

9%

735 t

19%

9 t

0%

2394 t

61%

Clams

Cockles

Mussels

Oysters

Others

1247 h

79%

327 h

21%

Non active

Active

Coastal Aquaculture in Portugal IMTA in earthen ponds

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.

The facts: - Specially adapted salt

ponds are the main

aquaculture fish production

systems in Portugal

- Production is usually in

semi-intensive conditions

(1.5 to 3 kg m3)

- Profitability is low given

the costs of energy, feed

and labour

- Abandon of the activity lead to lost of landscape and wet habitat for

migratory birds due to the sedimentation of the ponds and/or real

estate invasion

The results:

Coastal Aquaculture in Portugal IMTA in earthen ponds

• Better water quality – plants

and microalgae absorbing

nutrients

• Water quality more stable →

predators eating algae

• Less stress on fish etc.

• Less chance of disease

• Better fish quality

• Better prices for products

• Less nutrients in effluents

IMTA in earthen ponds

Why not Integrated Multi-Trophic

Aquaculture in earthen ponds?

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Eutrofization

(nutrients)

=

Particulate Organic Mater

(POM)

+

Dissolved Inorganic

Mater

(DIM)

Particulate Organic Mater

(POM)

+

Dissolved Inorganic

Mater

(DIM)

Aquaculture with supply of inert feeds

(fish)

Extractive Aquaculture Organic Inorganic

(Bivalves) (Algae)

+

IMTA in earthen ponds

Integrated MultiTrophic Aquaculture in

earthen ponds Our main Questions

1.Best combination of fish species?

2.Best grow-out structures for oysters in IMTA?

3.How will oysters affect the system?

4.Will oysters achieve acceptable growth

performance?

5.Will the sanitary quality of oysters be

acceptable?

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2010-2011 Trial

EVALUATE:

•Fish growth and stomach content

•Best oyster grow-out structure

•Sea cucumber adaptation

Experimental period: May 2010 to February 2011

Five bream species

189 Kg/pond

Crassostrea angulata

75 Kg/pond

Holothuria tubulosa

42 Kg/pond

Polyculture

proportion

- 6 ponds of 750 m3

- IMTA vs Polyculture

- 2 treatments in triplicates

Baskets

5 baskets/pond

100 oysters/basket

Trays

5 trays/pond

100 oysters/tray

Mesh bags

5 bags/pond

250 oysters/bags

2010-2011 Trial Comparative performance of three grow-out structures for

oysters

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2011-2012 Trial

- 1500 seabreams/pond (Mean weight of 7,1g)

- 2500 oysters/pond for biofiltration (Mean weight

of 50g)

- Seeds of C. angulata and C. gigas (Mean weight

of 0,6g)

Experimental period: May 2011 to November 2012

Rafts

EVALUATE:

•Water quality

•Oysters species comparison

•Benthic diversity

1. Best combination of fish species?

2. Best grow-out structures for oysters in IMTA?

3. How will oysters affect the system?

4. Will oysters achieve acceptable growth

performance?

5. Will the sanitary quality of oysters be

acceptable?

Our main Questions

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Q1: Best combination of fish species?

Fish growth performance

Q1: Best combination of fish species?

Comparative analysis of fish stomach content

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1. Best combination of fish species?

2. Best grow-out structures for oysters in IMTA?

3. How will oysters affect the system?

4. Will oysters achieve acceptable growth

performance?

5. Will the sanitary quality of oysters be

acceptable?

Our main Questions Q2: Best grow-out structures for oysters

in IMTA?

Mesh bags

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1. Best combination of fish species?

2. Best grow-out structures for oysters in IMTA?

3. How will oysters affect the system?

4. Will oysters achieve acceptable growth

performance?

5. Will the sanitary quality of oysters be

acceptable?

Our main Questions Q3: How will oysters affect the system?

Experimental period: May 2011 to November 2012

Me

an

co

ncen

tration (

µg

/L)

No strong effect of oysters. Probably not enough biofiltration.

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Bottom quality: Benthic Fauna (M-AMBI Index )

Q3: Will oysters affect the system?

Benthic diversity in IMTA ponds significantly higher than monoculture

system.

1. Best combination of fish species?

2. Best grow-out structures for oysters in IMTA?

3. How will oysters affect the system?

4. Will oysters achieve acceptable growth

performance?

5. Will the sanitary quality of oysters be

acceptable?

Our main Questions

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5 4

3 2

1 0

Size 5: 30-45g

Size 4: 46-65 g

Size 3: 66-85 g

Size 2: 86-110 g

Size 1: 111-150 g

Size 0: > 150 g

Size 5

Commercial Sizes

Size 4

Autumn Winter Spring Summer

Pacific

oyster

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

Liv

e w

eig

ht (g

)

Time (days)

Pacific oyster

Portuguese oyster

Q4: Will oysters achieve acceptable

growth performance?

C. gigas reaches size 3 class (65-85 g) in 12 months and C. angulata in 15

months

Initial weight

0.6 g

Autumn Winter Spring Summer

Pacific

oyster

Portuguese

oyster

0

5

10

15

20

25

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

Time (days)

Cu

mu

lative

mo

rta

lity (

%)

Pacific oyster

Portuguese oyster

Higher mortality for the Pacific oyster (2x higher than Portuguese oyster)

Q4: Will oysters achieve acceptable

growth performance?

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1. Best combination of fish species?

2. Best grow-out structures for oysters in IMTA?

3. How will oysters affect the system?

4. Will oysters achieve acceptable growth

performance?

5. Will the sanitary quality of oysters be

acceptable?

Our main Questions

C

B

A

Harvesting prohibited

C

B

A

Harvesting prohibited

Microbiological quality in IMTA ponds Microbiological quality on a bed outside

EPPO

Ready for consumption A B Purification, relaying or cooking

by an approved method Relaying or cooking by an

approved method C

(Annex II, Chapter II of Regulation (EC) 853 and 854/2004, as amended by Regulation (EC) 1021/2008)

Better microbiological quality of the IMTA oysters compared to Ria

Formosa lagoon

Q5: Will the sanitary quality of oysters

be acceptable?

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Main conclusions

Pacific oyster growth better

but avoid peak summer

when mature

Oysters are good for benthic

diversity and remineralization

Oysters growth acceptable

but mortality rate must be

lower

Sea cucumbers may not

withstand peak summer

temperatures

Acknowledgements