Our Aquaculture Division participated in the fifth workshop on sole aquaculture held at the University of the Algarve (Portugal) during April 2011. Researchers, institutional participants and companies from Portugal, Spain, Holland, Norway, Italy and the United Kingdom debated over the state of aquaculture for this species, and the technical constraints preventing the increase of their production.
Sole is a flatfish from temperate waters, with a high market value and appreciated as a valuable ingredient by many cultures. The cultivation of the soles builds on a number of advantages such as their capacity to accept diets lacking fish meal in their composition, their tolerance to variations in salinity, their good adaptation to intensive or semiintensive culture systems and their easy handling, particularly when compared to more aggressive species such as turbot. However a number of hurdles must be overcome for the optimization of the cultivation technology for these species, mainly with regards to the functional fertility of domestic males, the growth disparity observed in grow-out phases and the incidence of certain disease.
With a very interactive format designed to favour debate and the exchange of information, sessions covered a range of issues such as reproduction and larval culture, genetic improvement of stocks, nutrition, pathology, current production trends and future prospects.
Further information on the Workshop: http://www.ccmar.ualg.pt/home/index.php?id=738