Marta González

The Xunta improves mussel management from rock analysis to hatchery production

• CETMAR provides the industry with a web platform that offers information on the mussel larval cycle
• The Regional Minister of the Sea participates in the initiative, included in its strategy to ensure the sustainability and development of the resource
• Myticulture is one of the main aquaculture activities in Galicia, going beyond the cultivation in rafts, and being a determining factor in the socio-economic development of Galicia

The Regional Minister of the Sea, Mr. Alfonso Villares, participated in the presentation of the mussel larval density web viewer, developed by CETMAR in the framework of the APROMEX project. It is a web platform, co-financed by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFF), which allows to visualize the data of mollusc larval analysis, especially mussel larvae, updated weekly by interactive panels.

This initiative provides easier access to the data collected since 2023, when a study was launched to identify and selectively mark the larvae of this species using monoclonal antibodies. It was developed by CINBIO Research Centre (University of Vigo), Marine Research Centre (CIMA) and Instituto Tecnolóxico do Control Mariño de Galicia (Intecmar).

Mr. Villares was accompanied by the Director General of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Technological Innovation, Patricia García, and by the Managing Director of CETMAR, Rosa Chapela. The tool presented improves the accessibility and consultation of data; facilitates its interpretation, offering information of interest like the position of sampling stations; and allows to know its temporal evolution for 2023, 2024 and 2025. It also includes a diagram of the mussel larval cycle, as well as comments on the evolution recently observed at each station.

These details and the functioning of the instrument are presented to the industry in the framework of the Capacitamex project developed by CETMAR, together with other advances and research work of interest like APROMEX. This offers data ranging from the assessment of the attachment of brood to rocks to the implementation of new systems for the evaluation of uptake in the natural environment and complementary production in hatcheries.

To make progress on this project and to promote various initiatives guaranteeing the sustainability and development of this resource, the Regional Ministry of the Sea plans to invest more than €1.2 million by 2026. However, this action is a continuation of previous work.

Myticulture in Galicia

Mussel farming, one of the main aquaculture activities in Galicia, plays a crucial role in the economy and society. Its development goes beyond the cultivation in rafts (3,573 in Galicia), since the mussel fattening cycle depends on the collection of wild seed (mejilla), obtained mainly from coastal rocks and collecting ropes. According to Mr. Villares, these activities are essential for the development of the industry.

The high natural variability of this resource and its socio-economic importance for Galicia support the demand of an in-depth study of the dynamics, possibilities of exploitation, ecological impact, and search for alternatives to supply the industry and make it more resilient.

To ensure sustainability and continued development, it is essential to address the challenges. In this context, the Consellería do Mar, through CIMA and the technical support of CETMAR, launched the APROMEX project, co-financed with European funds. These challenges are addressed through three areas: analysis of mussel populations in the rocky intertidal and their exploitation, evaluation of new seed collection systems and development of seed production systems under controlled hatchery conditions.

CETMAR collaborates with the European Regional Coordination Groups to design innovative tools improving the management of fisheries data in the EU

• The development of the new technological services is performed in the Secweb 2.0 project, financed by the European Maritime Fund for Fisheries and Aquaculture
• The Centro Tecnológico del Mar is responsible for the secretariat to provide administrative support from 2023 onwards

CETMAR and the European Regional Coordination Groups (RCGs) are working together on the design and development of innovative tools and services to improve the functioning of the groups, which are responsible for the data collection and management of fisheries in the European Union.

As head of the secretariat supporting the RCGs, and within the Secweb 2.0 project, financed by the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), the Galician institution dependent on the Consellería do Mar, is leading the process. It was initiated with a survey to the experts who make up the groups to find out their demands for improvement.

Considering the results of this consultation, it was agreed to develop a series of tools and content, like a platform to manage recommendations and decisions, an event registration system, and an electronic calendar and library, as well as to improve and update the RCG website and the stakeholder database.

The design and implementation of these actions was discussed at the first co-design meeting, which brought together 17 representatives of the six groups and subgroups and the national focal points. It was addressed the content of the platform for the management of recommendations and decisions, to allow their follow up beyond the annual meeting of the RCGs.

CETMAR will discuss with the groups in future meetings the content of other tools such as the calendar or the new system for events registration, or the virtual library, commonly agreeing on the information to be shared, the way to display it or the access system.

It is a cooperative, continuous and open design process, led by Cetmar, who will present the progress until the final development of the new tools. They are intended to make the day-to-day work easier for the Regional Coordination Groups.

Since 2023, the Promotion and Technology Transfer area of CETMAR has been assisting the RCGs and supporting in the organisation and communication procedures of the groups, by new mechanisms and proposals to consolidate a structure for a secretariat to support them in the long term.

Parallelly, Cetmar develops the SECWEB 2.0 project to improve the capacity of the RCGs and strengthen the regional coordination of this network of more than 400 experts for the collection, management, and exchange of fisheries data.

The Regional Coordination Groups – North Atlantic, North Sea and Eastern Arctic (NANSEA RCG); Baltic (Baltic RCG); Large Pelagics (LP RCG); Long Distance Fisheries (LDF RCG); Mediterranean and Black Sea (Med&BS RCG) and Economic Affairs (ECON RCG) – are the main collectors of fisheries data for the European Union to improve and ensure the sustainable management of marine resources.

The analysis of this information is the basis for stock assessments, which help to write scientific reports as a basis to define the fishing opportunities of each species.

Galicia advocates considering fisheries and aquaculture central pillars of the European Oceans Pact

• During an event at the European Committee of the Regions in Brussels, the managing director of CETMAR, Rosa Chapela Pérez, claims that these sectors are essential allies to ensure the balance and sustainability of the seas.

Galicia reaffirmed today its full support for the European Oceans Pact as a fundamental platform to unify its governance and align environmental protection with sustainable use, and called for the full integration of fisheries and aquaculture as central pillars of the agreement

During an event at the European Committee of the Regions in Brussels, Rosa Chapela Pérez, managing director of CETMAR, argued that sustainable fisheries and aquaculture ‘do not represent a threat to the health of our oceans.’ On the contrary, she said, ‘they are essential allies to keep the balance.’

The head of CETMAR spoke on behalf of the Consellería do Mar at a high-level conference organised by the European Office for Conservation and Development in collaboration with the European Economic and Social Committee. It intended to explore how the next European Oceans Pact will contribute to their global sustainability. This happens in the run-up to the third United Nations Conference on the Oceans (UNOC-3), to take place in Nice in June.

In this context, Rosa Chapela remarked the importance of the pact recognising and supporting artisanal and small-scale fisheries, sustainable shellfishing and aquaculture as ‘key’ factors. They contribute to coastal resilience, food security and cultural heritage. Moreover, recognising their role in the fulfilment of Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14), climate resilience and food sovereignty.

The managing director of CETMAR reviewed Galicia’s contributions to the European Oceans Pact, summarised in four basic pillars: ‘strong governance and integrated maritime spatial planning; people-centred ocean governance; sustainable and inclusive blue food systems; and investment in science, innovation and capacity building.’

She recalled that Galicia is working closely with the Spanish government on maritime spatial planning to ensure a fair balance for all uses of the ocean. It is an integrated vision that ‘minimises conflicts and maximises synergies,’ while defending the sea as a cultural, social, and economic pillar. “We advocate a Pact that places coastal communities at the centre, ensuring decent work, generational renewal and recognition of the role of women in the blue economy.

The managing director of CETMAR also referred to the Local Fisheries Action Groups (FLAGs), members of a wider European network and which, ‘offer a proven model of bottom-up EU governance’ and ‘can help to implement this Pact on the ground.’

Aligning blue growth with climate action, ensuring equitable access to EU funding and policy approach for coastal regions like Galicia, and investing in science, innovation, and training to support the management and resilience of a changing ocean were other commitments Galicia suggested to include in the Oceans Pact.

The Xunta (Galician government) develops a web viewer of larval density of bivalves in the Galician coast in collaboration with CETMAR, within the Apromex project

• This tool improves the access to data and the interpretation and consultation through interactive panels, as well as viewing the position of sampling stations and their temporal evolution
• In 2023 a study on the identification and selective marking of mussel larvae using monoclonal antibodies was carried out by the CINBIO research centre of the University of Vigo, CIMA and Intecmar
• The Consellería do Mar (Regional Ministry of the Sea) is investing more than 1.2 million euros to promote initiatives to guarantee the sustainability and development of this strategic aquaculture resource in 2024-2026.

The Conselleria do Mar reported to the Xunta on the development of a web viewer for the mussel larval density, a strategic marine resource for the aquaculture in the region. Within the Apromex project and co-financed by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFF) this action is developed by CETMAR, which depends on the Consellería. and has set up a web platform for data visualisation of the mollusc larval analysis, especially mussel larvae. Data are updated weekly, through interactive panels.

This tool improves the access to data and facilitates the interpretation and consultation by offering information of interest like the position of the sampling stations and allows to know their temporal evolution in 2023, 2024 and 2025. It also includes a diagram of the mussel larval cycle, and comments on the evolution recently observed at each station, just as other observations. These and other operation aspects of the tool, together with other advances and research of interest to the industry are presented to the mussel sector in the Capacitamex project workshops, organized by CETMAR.

This action is in line with previous work performed in the period 2009-2011 when, commissioned by the Consellería do Mar, CETMAR published weekly reports on the Intecmar website on the abundance of mussel larvae in the Galician estuaries to show temporal and spatial patterns. Also in 2023, a study was initiated to identify and selectively mark mussel larvae using monoclonal antibodies, carried out by the CINBIO research centre of the University of Vigo, the Centro de Investigacións Mariñas (CIMA) and Intecmar.

Further actions

In addition to the analysis of bivalve larval populations in the rocky intertidal and their exploitation on the coast, the Apromex project also addresses the evaluation of new seed collection systems in long line structures to supply mussels to the sector and contribute to the sustainability of mussel farming. This is an essential product for Galician aquaculture, that is why transferring results and other knowledge to the sector and stakeholders is another area of work.

The Consellería do Mar will invest more than 1.2 million euros in the period 2024-2026 to promote initiatives to guarantee the sustainability and development of this strategic aquaculture resource.

CETMAR analyses the current situation of Honduran scientific research for fisheries in the Gulf of Fonseca in a participatory workshop organised by the International Cooperation area

• The training activity, along with another on the taxonomic identification of molluscs in this area of Honduras, is framed in the project funded by Cooperación Galega. It intends to improve the sustainability of the seafood activity of women’s groups in the south of the country

The International Cooperation area of CETMAR is organising a participatory workshop with the aim of analysing the current situation of Honduran scientific research for fisheries in the Gulf of Fonseca and a basic seminar for the taxonomic identification of molluscs in this area of Honduras, both online.

Both activities are carried out online as a technical assistance for the recovery and sustainability of fisheries resources in the Gulf of Fonseca (Honduras) and the development of skills for the administrations and institutions competent in fisheries, by implementing processes for the generation and management of knowledge.

Se trata de una acción del proyecto “Mejora de la sostenibilidad de la actividad marisquera para grupos de mujeres en el sur de Honduras, Fase 2” que, financiado por la Xunta de Galicia a través de Cooperación Galega, están desarrollando en aquel país Ingenieros sin fronteras Galicia, la Universidad de A Coruña y el Comité para la Defensa y el Desarrollo de la Flora y la Fauna del Golfo de Fonseca (CODDEFFAGOLF) con la colaboración de CETMAR

This is an action of the project ‘Improving the sustainability of seafood activity for women’s groups in southern Honduras, Phase 2’. It is funded by the Xunta de Galicia through Cooperación Galega and developed by Engineers without Borders Galicia, the University of A Coruña and the Committee for the Defence and Development of the Flora and Fauna of the Gulf of Fonseca (CODDEFFAGOLF) with the collaboration of CETMAR.

The first participatory workshop aims to analyse the weaknesses, threats, strengths, and opportunities of fisheries research in Honduras, by stressing the importance of making the sustainable exploitation of resources compatible with respect for the marine environment, including the conservation of biodiversity.  All of that, in the framework of the FAO’s code of conduct for responsible fishing.

It will be moderated by the manager (Guadalupe Martín) and the technical officer (Mercedes Martínez) of the International Cooperation area of CETMAR, and will be held on Tuesday 1 April via Teams from 17:00 to 20:00 (from 09:00 to 12:00 in Honduras).

The second workshop, a basic seminar for the taxonomic identification of molluscs from the Gulf of Fonseca, will take place on Thursday 3 April at the same time. Mr. Jesús Souza, Professor of Zoology and Professor of Marine Zoology at the University of Vigo, will train participants in the tools and mechanisms used for species identification.

The A Aixola training centre is organising a new edition of the Course on manufacture and maintenance of gear and equipment, the only one of its kind in Galicia

• The training, which leads to a level 2 professional certificate, has a high rate of employability, given its high demand
• The classes will take place at the centre in the port of Marín from April to July for 390 hours

The A Aixola Training Centre, dependent on the Regional Department for the Sea and managed by CETMAR, is organising a new edition of the course ‘Manufacture and maintenance of gear and equipment.’ This is a free and unique training in Galicia leading to a level 2 professional certificate, with a high rate of employability.

It will be a 390-hour course to take place from 7th April to 11th July in the morning and includes work experience in companies. To obtain a place on this course, having a secondary school diploma or equivalent is enough.

Students will acquire the skills to design, make, repair, and maintain fishing nets and traditional or mechanised equipment, adapting to the different methods. Successful completion leads directly to the professional certificate required for registration in the maritime system.

The course is particularly suitable for young people, unemployed or linked to fisheries, who wish to redirect their profession or ensure generational change in an extremely specialised profession. It is a job in danger of disappearance, but in demand for the associations and companies in the maritime-fishing sector. The data collected in previous editions show a high level of employment among the students, given the shortage of qualified professionals.

Places are limited and pre-registration is already available on the website (aixola.cetmar.org) or by mail aixola@cetmar.org or by phone 886 206915. A Aixola is currently the only accredited centre that offers this training.

CETMAR presents to mussel producers the research results and the new tools to support the planning of campaigns for the collection of mussel seed

• CETMAR organized in O Grove the first transfer workshop planned in the Capacitamex project and which targeted the members of the association Amegrove
• This is the first workshop planned to bring science closer to producers where experts from CIMA, the University of Vigo and IIM-CSIC participated

The headquarters of Amegrove, the cooperative of mussel producers, was yesterday the location of the first workshop scheduled by CETMAR in Capacitamex. This project aims to transfer to the productive sector the research results and tools developed to support mussel harvesting campaigns.

Funded by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF)) and the Regional Department for the Sea, Capacitamex is building bridges between science and the productive sector and generating dialogue between researchers and producers, while making accessible the advances to know the state of the marine environment and predict its behaviour and effect on mussel farming.

During this first day, attendees learnt the results of Apromex, a project also funded by EMFAF and developed by the Centre for Marine Research (CIMA) with technical support from CETMAR. It addressed the analysis of juvenile mussel populations in the rocky intertidal, the evaluation of new systems for mussel seed uptake and the development of seed production systems in hatcheries.

Experts from CIMA, the Centre for Research in Nanomaterials and Biomedicine of the University of Vigo (CINBIO), the Institute of Marine Research (IIM-CSIC) and the Marine Technologies Unit of CETMAR were in charge to transfer to the producers the research results and the tools generated as a result of these studies.

For instance, the web viewers allowing access to data collected in the pre-campaign sampling on the state of the mussel seed population in the Galician coast, and the quantification of mussel larvae in the estuaries performed weekly. They are now available to the sector thanks to the new tools. In addition, the researchers reported the results of the latest scientific studies that connect upwelling and prevailing winds in the estuaries with the availability of mussel seed.

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The session concluded with a presentation by CETMAR on the application to declare mussel harvesting, both in natural banks and in collecting ropes, and that makes it possible through a mobile terminal.

This was the first of a series of workshops designed to provide a common vision of researchers, managers, and producers regarding the importance of knowledge about the mussel cycle and the analysis of the environmental factors that influence. It facilitates the adaptation to changes in the environment and supports the environmental, economic, and social sustainability of the mussel sector.

CIMA and CETMAR conclude the preliminary study on the presence of ouxa in the Galician coast and lay the foundations for a future Redemar project

• The Galician Federation of Fishermen’s Associations and the Fisheries Technical Unit (UTPB) also participated in the document
• The study aimed to find out the current state of the ouxa stocks in the Galician coast

The Marine Research Centre (CIMA) concluded the preliminary study on the presence of ouxa in the Galician coast, in which CETMAR collaborated and that sets the roadmap to follow for the implementation of a future Redemar project.

The Director General of Fisheries Development, Marta Villaverde, along with the director of CETMAR, Rosa Chapela, attended the presentation of this initiative. According to the director of CIMA, Carlos Gabin, the work was developed for seven months, in collaboration with the Galician Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, the Technical Unit of Inshore Fisheries (UTPB) and CETMAR, and the contributions of the fishermen’s guilds.

This preliminary study integrated the research knowledge of the Administration’s technicians with experience in fisheries and shellfish. The objective was to know the view of the sector about this species, and specially to enable the planning of activities that allow us to know the behaviour, abundance and, in the near future, to have tools to assess and quantify the impact on shellfish stocks.

A key stage of the study was the sending of 60 surveys from 10 ports, completed with several interviews with stakeholders. This ended last February with a workshop in Arcade.

The objective was to study the behaviour of this species in depth and obtain sufficient information to adopt management and coexistence measures for the sector’s activity and the natural populations of this species.

To achieve the objectives involves monitoring the shoals of ouxas through an observation network to obtain information on mobility patterns, recording and quantification of sightings, time and environmental conditions favouring their presence, reproduction periods and the basis of their feeding at different stages of growth.

This information will be necessary to objectively analyse the measures that can help mitigate their effect on shellfish and tackle a study to quantify the loss linked to incidence of ouxas on shellfish production.

Further knowledge

During the meeting, it was announced the joining of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (CSIC-IEO) and more fishermen’s guilds to this working group. These associations will be a major value when carrying out the experiences framed within a future Redemar project to be probably launched in the first half of 2025.

The advances will be transferred to the fishing and shellfish sectors, through meetings, workshops and documents so as to find a sustainable coexistence of this fish with the people of the sea.

The director of CETMAR is committed to placing fish and blue protein at the centre of European food safety policies

• In the framework of the World Maritime Week at Bilbao, Rosa Chapela advocated for policies that give priority to coastal communities in the strategic planning of the blue economy
• The head of the CETMAR also stressed the importance of fisheries and aquaculture for food security at Eurofishing congress

The managing director of CETMAR, Rosa Chapela Pérez, participated today in the World Maritime Week in Bilbao with two presentations on the importance of blue protein and fish in food security and sovereignty and on the sustainable development of the blue economy.

In her speech at Eurofishing, one of the four parallel congresses dedicated to the fishing industry, the managing director of CETMAR highlighted the importance of fishing and aquaculture in food security and sovereignty.

She recalled that the FAO has been warning since 2014 of the importance of sustainability in fisheries and aquaculture for food security. That requires better fisheries and aquaculture management, strategies for adaptation to climate change and the protection and promotion of artisanal fisheries.

She claimed that «Blue protein is key for human health, economic development and sustainability of our planet», and defended that recognition in European and global food resilience, as well as the strengthening of policies that promote fish consumption and the “real” inclusion of fisheries and aquaculture in the food strategies of administrations.

Additionally, in the session that opened the European Maritime Week, Rosa Chapela defended an effective maritime spatial planning and participatory maritime planning as keys to the sustainable growth of the blue economy, which, “depends on greater integration between sectors, the development of new technologies and a regulation encouraging collaboration.”

The managing director of CETMAR reminded that the consolidation of Member States’ integrated maritime plans is still pending and stressed that it must integrate all blue economy activities and get developed counting on key stakeholders (science, administrations, the maritime-fishing sector, NGOs, and society).

She was in favour of “establishing priorities for the traditional activities on which coastal communities live, like fishing, shellfishing and aquaculture,” leading to “the emerging activities of the blue economy,” in a process of coexistence.

She insisted that the key to accelerate this transition without jeopardizing competitiveness would be “policies combining economic incentives, smart regulations and financial support that put coastal communities at the core.” Thus, they will be “actors and not victims of change” of the sustainable blue transition, showing the Galician Coastal Action Groups (GALP) as an example of involvement.

To meet these objectives, Rosa Chapela stressed the importance of funding measures such as the European Maritime Fund for Fisheries and Aquaculture and pleaded for them to be maintained over time, enabling the updating of the fleet, the implementation of sustainable technologies or the diversification of sources of income. She also highlighted the training programs for the workers in the maritime sector to adapt to the opportunities of blue economy or to the synergies that may arise.

World Maritime Week

The World Maritime Week is held in Bilbao from today until March 21^th, being a meeting point for stakeholders in the global maritime industry. This maritime forum brings together industry professionals every two years with the aim of establishing international alliances, sharing information, and tackling new challenges. Four international congresses are scheduled for this purpose, along with an exhibition area and a space for networking.