Sea Eight has signed an agreement with the government of Asturias to invest EUR 75 million (USD 91.3 million) over the next six years to develop a recirculating aquaculture system farming Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis).
Senegalese sole is similar to common or Dover sole (Solea solea), both of which are recognized as premium sole species.
The company, part of the Valencian group Atitlan, plans to build an RAS farm in the port of Gijón, known as El Musel, with a production capacity of 2,600 metric tons (MT) of sole per year. Development is planned in six phases, the first of which is due to begin soon, according to Sea Eight CEO Jaime León. This will have a capacity of 440 MT, and the first fingerlings are expected to be introduced in mid-2022, he said. The project is expected to generate 145 new jobs in total.
"With this new project, one of the most ambitious in terms of aquaculture innovation in Spain, we are taking our first step in our expansion and internationalization strategy. Over the next six years, we will work with the objective of satisfying the growing worldwide demand for sole, especially in Europe, the U.S.A., Asia, and the Middle East. In the coming months, we will continue to deepen this idea and continue to implement this plan, with which we intend to invest around EUR 310 million [USD 378 million], produce an additional 10,000 MT, and continue to lead the way in sole breeding using sustainable technology, which is undoubtedly the future of Aquaculture 3.0,” León told SeafoodSource.
Sea Eight already runs two aquaculture facilities in Portugal and one in Galicia, Spain, and produces 1,000 MT of fish per year. León said the new sole farm will increase the company’s current production of sole in Spain fourfold, and said the project "has no parallel" in Europe.
“The critical situation of wild sole stocks makes it essential to develop and use aquaculture production systems as an alternative to fishing. Sea Eight has firmly committed to sustainability by using recirculation systems with low environmental impact, investing in R&D, participating in European projects, and collaborating with the most-renowned innovation centers in Spain and Portugal,” León said.
