Species selection for diversify
DIVERSIFY focuses on meagre (Argyrosomus regius) and greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili) for marine warm-water cage culture, wreckfish (Polyprion americanus) for warm- and cool-water marine cage culture, Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) for marine cold-water culture, grey mullet (Mugil cephalus) a euryhaline herbivore for warm-water pond, extensive and integrated culture, and pikeperch (Sanders lucioperca) for freshwater intensive culture using Recirculation Aquaculture Systems (RAS). These species were selected based both on their biological and economical potential, and to cover the entire European geographic area and stimulate different aquaculture types.
Firstly, given their large size and/or fast growth, they provide for high dress-out and fillet yield, short time to market and suitability for product diversification and development of value-added products. This is the reason why species such as Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) or members of the Sparidae family that have been investigated by the industry over the past decade were not considered for this proposal. Another criterion included the potential of the fish to be reared in sea cages --especially offshore, where the future expansion of marine aquaculture may lie.
Secondly, since aquaculture is of interest to European countries where different aquaculture methods are employed in diverse environmental and climatic conditions, species selection included a freshwater fish of high demand for RAS culture (pikeperch), a cold-water species of very high demand for production in the sub-arctic northern Europe (Atlantic halibut) and a euryhaline warm-water fish suitable for extensive aquaculture in earthen ponds, coastal lagoons, "valli" or "Salinas" (grey mullet).
Finally, all selected species are either cosmopolitan species found --and cultured in some cases-- throughout the world or their very similar congeners are fished or cultured around the world. As a result, these species or their congeners have existing markets and the potential exist for the EU aquaculture production of these species to reduce imports to the EU, as well as supply global markets.
These six species are at different stages of "inclusion" in the Aquaculture industry, with meagre and Atlantic halibut being the most developed followed by pikeperch, the greater amberjack, and the wreckfish with no production and very limited research. The grey mullet is produced by capture-based aquaculture, using wild fry. In all, DIVERSIFY includes species that are already cultured to some degree and for which there is a need to improve production technologies, diversify products and enhance marketing aspects to boost the growth of the aquaculture industry, as well as other species that have a high biological and economical potential, but as new biological models, require more work to enter commercial production.
Following the topics raised by the Call, work in DIVERSIFY will address in a species-specific way aspects related to reproduction and/or larval rearing and/or nutrition and/or husbandry technologies and/or fish health and/or product development-evaluation; a strong emphasis is also given on the evaluation of the socioeconomic potential of the selected species. DIVERSIFY will address the main documented species-specific bottlenecks in the production of the selected species, in order to develop adequate husbandry practices and technologies for the industry to enable production (greater amberjack and wreckfish) or to optimize production (meagre, pikeperch, Atlantic halibut and grey mullet).
Using specific questionnaires to the European aquaculture industry, the input of the participating SMEs and the extensive experience in finfish domestication of the participating RTD institutions, DIVERSIFY has identified and prioritized the essential bottlenecks in the production of each of the selected species, and designed the work to address these bottlenecks as explained under Research Area. The justification for the selection of each species and a description of the major bottlenecks in their production is explained under each Species page.
Firstly, given their large size and/or fast growth, they provide for high dress-out and fillet yield, short time to market and suitability for product diversification and development of value-added products. This is the reason why species such as Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) or members of the Sparidae family that have been investigated by the industry over the past decade were not considered for this proposal. Another criterion included the potential of the fish to be reared in sea cages --especially offshore, where the future expansion of marine aquaculture may lie.
Secondly, since aquaculture is of interest to European countries where different aquaculture methods are employed in diverse environmental and climatic conditions, species selection included a freshwater fish of high demand for RAS culture (pikeperch), a cold-water species of very high demand for production in the sub-arctic northern Europe (Atlantic halibut) and a euryhaline warm-water fish suitable for extensive aquaculture in earthen ponds, coastal lagoons, "valli" or "Salinas" (grey mullet).
Finally, all selected species are either cosmopolitan species found --and cultured in some cases-- throughout the world or their very similar congeners are fished or cultured around the world. As a result, these species or their congeners have existing markets and the potential exist for the EU aquaculture production of these species to reduce imports to the EU, as well as supply global markets.
These six species are at different stages of "inclusion" in the Aquaculture industry, with meagre and Atlantic halibut being the most developed followed by pikeperch, the greater amberjack, and the wreckfish with no production and very limited research. The grey mullet is produced by capture-based aquaculture, using wild fry. In all, DIVERSIFY includes species that are already cultured to some degree and for which there is a need to improve production technologies, diversify products and enhance marketing aspects to boost the growth of the aquaculture industry, as well as other species that have a high biological and economical potential, but as new biological models, require more work to enter commercial production.
Following the topics raised by the Call, work in DIVERSIFY will address in a species-specific way aspects related to reproduction and/or larval rearing and/or nutrition and/or husbandry technologies and/or fish health and/or product development-evaluation; a strong emphasis is also given on the evaluation of the socioeconomic potential of the selected species. DIVERSIFY will address the main documented species-specific bottlenecks in the production of the selected species, in order to develop adequate husbandry practices and technologies for the industry to enable production (greater amberjack and wreckfish) or to optimize production (meagre, pikeperch, Atlantic halibut and grey mullet).
Using specific questionnaires to the European aquaculture industry, the input of the participating SMEs and the extensive experience in finfish domestication of the participating RTD institutions, DIVERSIFY has identified and prioritized the essential bottlenecks in the production of each of the selected species, and designed the work to address these bottlenecks as explained under Research Area. The justification for the selection of each species and a description of the major bottlenecks in their production is explained under each Species page.
species leaders and their role in diversify
The species to be studied were chosen tentatively via email and personal one-on-one interactions of some of the main Partners in the consortium during Spring 2012. DIVERSIFY Partners include well-known researchers that are pioneers in the study of the selected species, in various scientific disciplines --including reproduction, nutrition, larval rearing, grow out, fish health and final product quality-- with a number of scientific publications already in these species. In some cases, the participating Partners maintain the major available broodstocks of the selected species (e.g., MC2, IEO, HCMR and CMRM for wreckfish; FCPCT, IEO and HCMR for greater amberjack; IMR for Atlantic halibut and IOLR for grey mullet).
The species evaluation followed a Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT) analysis, which was presented to the consortium at a 2-day organizational meeting (Spain, July 2012). At this time, the final selection of the six species was made. A Species Leader (SL) was appointed for each selected species, with the responsibility of coordinating the identification of the existing industrial bottlenecks in the production of each species. The SLs were selected from among the consortium based on their involvement, expertise and excellence in research with the particular species. The SLs are:
Dr. Alicia Estevez (IRTA, Spain) for meagre,
Dr. Nikos Papandroulakis (HCMR, Greece) for greater amberjack,
Dr. Pascal Fontaine (UL, France) for pikeperch,
Dr. Birgitta Norberg (IMR, Norway) for Atlantic halibut,
Dr. Jose Benito (Tito) Peleteiro Alonso (IEO, Spain) for wreckfish, and
Dr. Bill Koven (IOLR, Israel) for grey mullet.
In addition to using the State-of-the-Art and the experience possessed by the scientific Partners of DIVERSIFY, identification of bottlenecks was done through the use of questionnaires sent to and/or personal communications with production managers of aquaculture companies involved with the production of each species (currently or attempted in the past). Once the bottlenecks were identified, a list was produced and Partners and aquaculture companies were asked to prioritize the importance of the bottlenecks, given limitations in the budget. Once the top bottlenecks were identified and selected for DIVERSIFY, the work required to solve each bottleneck was allocated to a specific RTD Work package, as explained under Research Area.
The species evaluation followed a Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT) analysis, which was presented to the consortium at a 2-day organizational meeting (Spain, July 2012). At this time, the final selection of the six species was made. A Species Leader (SL) was appointed for each selected species, with the responsibility of coordinating the identification of the existing industrial bottlenecks in the production of each species. The SLs were selected from among the consortium based on their involvement, expertise and excellence in research with the particular species. The SLs are:
Dr. Alicia Estevez (IRTA, Spain) for meagre,
Dr. Nikos Papandroulakis (HCMR, Greece) for greater amberjack,
Dr. Pascal Fontaine (UL, France) for pikeperch,
Dr. Birgitta Norberg (IMR, Norway) for Atlantic halibut,
Dr. Jose Benito (Tito) Peleteiro Alonso (IEO, Spain) for wreckfish, and
Dr. Bill Koven (IOLR, Israel) for grey mullet.
In addition to using the State-of-the-Art and the experience possessed by the scientific Partners of DIVERSIFY, identification of bottlenecks was done through the use of questionnaires sent to and/or personal communications with production managers of aquaculture companies involved with the production of each species (currently or attempted in the past). Once the bottlenecks were identified, a list was produced and Partners and aquaculture companies were asked to prioritize the importance of the bottlenecks, given limitations in the budget. Once the top bottlenecks were identified and selected for DIVERSIFY, the work required to solve each bottleneck was allocated to a specific RTD Work package, as explained under Research Area.
