Texto de lectura
2.1 Principales diferencias entre los países participantes en el proyecto
Bivalve mollusc aquaculture in Europe is not a homogeneous sector; rather, it is highly diversified to adapt to the different geographical, oceanographic and historical conditions of each country.
The OPTIMA project partners are from five European countries: Spain, France, Italy, Ireland, and Greece. These five countries have unique territorial and cultural characteristics that are reflected in the types of species cultivated and the farming methods adopted, both to ensure greater sustainability in the sector and to maximize yield in often very different marine environments: the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
In its first phase, the project analyzed, as can be seen in the table below, the main differences and similarities in bivalve farming in the five countries, referring to three key characteristics:
different types of cultivated species;
different breeding techniques;
different breeding sites.
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COUNTRIES |
ITALY |
SPAIN |
IRELAND |
FRANCE |
GREECE |
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CULTIVATED SPECIES |
Mytilus galloprovincialis Ruditapes philippinarum Magellan gigas Ostrea edulis Tapes decussatus |
Mytilus galloprovincialis Ruditapes philippinarum Tapes decussatus Magellan gigas Ostrea edulis |
Mytilus edulis Magellan gigas Ostrea edulis Ruditapes philippinarum Pecten maximus |
Mytilus edulis Mytilus galloprovincialis Magellan gigas Ostrea edulis Veneridae spp. Cerastoderma spp. |
Mytilus galloprovincialis Ruditapes philippinarum Magellan gigas Ostrea edulis |
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CULTIVATION TECHNIQUES |
Mussels in open-sea cultivation lines Mussels on posts in the lagoon Clams at the bottom Floating bivalve system Oysters cemented onto strings Flashlights Baskets on longlines in the open sea Floating bags in lagoons |
Mussels in rafts Mussels in cultivation lines Oysters cemented onto strings Clams at the bottom Oysters in bags |
Mussels in open-sea cultivation lines Mussels cultivated on the bottom Oysters in bags Oysters in roll-up bags |
Oysters in bags on a trestle Mussels in bouchots Suspended on ropes Clams or cockles at the bottom Fixed rafts similar to Spanish palisades for both oysters and mussels |
Lines of mussels in the open sea Poles in the lagoon similar to the "bouchots" Batches similar to those in Spain I cultivate the background Clams at the bottom |
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MAIN CULTIVATION AREAS |
Bivalve farming is widespread, especially along the Adriatic coast, with a higher concentration in the northern Adriatic. Other important production areas are located in the Ionian Sea (Gulf of Taranto); the Tyrrhenian Sea: the Campania region, the Gulf of La Spezia, Gaeta, and Follonica. In Sardinia, mussel and oyster production areas are located in the Gulf of Olbia and Oristano, while European and Philippine clams are farmed in the lagoons of the island's south. |
Bivalve farming is concentrated mainly in Galicia, which produces 97% of the total national output. Other autonomous communities where bivalves are also farmed, though with much lower production (3,000 tons/year), include: Catalonia, Valencia, Andalusia, the Balearic Islands, Asturias, and Cantabria. In Galicia there are almost 4,900 facilities dedicated to bivalve farming: - Mussel rafts: 3,626 (of which 3,387 are dedicated to mussel farming. The rest are dedicated to the cultivation of other bivalves, mainly oysters/pectinids, or to the pre-fattening of clams); -Cultivation lines: 22 (all dedicated to mussel farming); - Parks: 1202 (clams, cockles and razor clams); - Hatcheries: 11 (clam and oyster seeds). |
Bivalve farming is widespread in all coastal regions with suitable bays. Oyster production is highest in the southeastern and northern regions. Mussel farming using suspended ropes (Mytilus edulis) is found along the western coast, but is also concentrated in the sheltered southern bays. Seabed mussel production is concentrated in the southeast (Wexford Harbour) and northeast (Carlingford Lough), accounting for almost 97% of the total. Seed mussels are harvested by seasonal workers in the southwest (Castlemaine Harbour) and sold to nearby finishing units. Seabed cultivation of native oysters (Ostrea edulis), scallops (Pecten maximus), and clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) has resumed on a smaller scale at specific locations along the coast. |
Bivalve farming is concentrated mainly along the west coast, from the Belgian border to the Spanish border. Oysters are the most widely cultivated species here (95% of the total is grown in bags on racks), but mussels (Mytilus edulis) are also cultivated, especially in bouchots (95% between Charente-Maritime and Pas-de-Calais) and, less frequently (5%), in offshore facilities with cultivation lines (Marennes-Oléron, Bay of Brest). On the west coast, there are also small-scale clam and cockle farms on the seabed (Pays de la Loire region) and small-scale oyster farms on the seabed in the Bay of Quiberon and the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel (5% of total production). In the Mediterranean area, the most cultivated species are the mussels M. galloprovincialis, which are raised in offshore systems with longlines or in fixed rafts similar to the Spanish ones, but anchored to the ground. |
Bivalve farming takes place in the following breeding sites: - Gulf of Thermaic (80%), - Gulf of Kalloni, - Saronic Gulf, - Gulf of Maliakos, - Amvrakikos Gulf, Nestos estuaries. Mussels and oysters are farmed in the Makrigialos and Chalastra regions in offshore long-line farming facilities. In Igoumenitsa, oysters are mainly produced, also in this case in offshore breeding facilities with longlines. In Lamia, mussels are produced in offshore farming lines. Clams are primarily raised in lagoons using purely natural processes, without nutrient enrichment. |
Table No. 1 - Situation of the bivalve farming sector in the 5 countries participating in the project