According to new regional fisheries ministry data, Andalucía's aquaculture production increased 6 percent to 7,937 metric tons in 2010.
Of total aquaculture production, fish represented 88 percent, mollusks 10 percent and crustaceans 2 percent.?
Bream and sea bass account for 39 percent and 43.7 percent of production respectively, followed by mussels with 9.5 percent and other species at 7.7 percent.?
The province of Almeria was Andalucía's largest producer, surpassing 2,300 metric tons. This was followed by Cádiz with 1,734 tons; Huelva 1,368 tons; Málaga 1,138 tons; Seville 852 tons and Granada 531 tons.? Industry observers see an increasing tendency to use the cropping system of production in the open sea, which has seen a growth of 4 percent during the last five years. Offshore production last year was 4,444 metric tons compared to 3,493 tons produced on land.
These increases are accompanied by aquaculture advances in the production of tilapia, which has become the third most important aquaculture species after carps and salmonids.
Feeding on a largely herbivorous diet, tilapia are fast-growing with a short life span. Their large size makes them a good source of protein, and whilst historically they’ve been of major importance in artisanal fishing in Africa, they’re increasingly sought as an aquaculture species by commercial fisheries.
As leader in Andalucían production, the eastern province of Almeria is the site of an innovative tilapia breeding programme by the Industry Center of Agriculture Technological Assistance (Tecnova), working with a private company aiming to grow the species in greenhouses.
From September, the “important businessman” — who remains unnamed for reasons of commercial confidentiality — will launch the first agriculture farm to grow tilapia using compatible breeding methods developed in Africa.
While Tecnova will provide the project’s technology, company representative Ignacio Flores described it as an inexpensive investment. “Only deposits are required, a pump to recirculate the water filter and a pool,” he explained.
Last October, Tecnova completed a project entitled “Alternatives in Aquaculture: Intensive Cultivation of Greenhouse Tilapia,” in collaboration with the Andalucían Aquaculture Technology Centre and several companies involved in greenhouse construction.
The project was evaluated for theoretical developments, technical feasibility and economic viability of tilapia greenhouse farming.
