Our Aquaculture Division is carrying out a Project for the culture of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax). The goal is the development of a final product with far superior quality to the cultured sea bass currently available in the market. Taking into account the location and potential of the production site, the Project considers two clearly differentiated phases:
- An initial grow-out phase will take place inland, in specially designed facilities where fish will reach optimum size for introduction into cages;
- A main grow-out phase will be carried out in cages, where the cultivar will stay until adult fish reach the selected target size.
Sustainability and careful environmental management have been two basic premises during Project development. A comprehensive water treatment system has been designed in order to achieve high recirculation and minimum effluent volume while the heavy reliance on alternative energy sources seeks the reduction in operating costs. Submersible state-of-the-art cages have been selected for the reduction of environmental and visual impact of the installation.
The target species and the production goals of the Project can be defined by a few defining aspects:
- The Project is centered on the cultivation of an autoctonous species, minimizing chances for the introduction of new pathogens in the local ecosystem. The stocking of specifically selected juveniles from locally-adapted strains bears in mind the strict quality standards pursued by the Project entrepreneurs.
- Cultivation in the nutrient rich, relatively temperate Galician Rías shall enhance the organoleptic characteristics of the cultivar, resembling the wild product in taste and.
- A special emphasis has been given to the nutritional strategy, with diets specifically formulated for this application incorporating locally produced raw matters pursuing lean, firm flesh and maximum palatability.
- Market size shall be over 1 kilogramme, while commercially available sea bass falls predominantly within the 500 to 700 gram class.
- The bulk of the product shall be marketed live, with handling routines ensuring deliveries within one hour from harvesting to market. The aim is to compete in freshness with the wild counterpart, usually delivered within 12 hours from fishing to market.