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Improvements in fisheries management of a threatened species, grouper, through aquaculture

Pleamar program

Description

The project aims to improve the management and conservation of two species of fishing interest on the coasts of Galicia and Asturias, such as the Atlantic grouper (Epinephelus Marginatus) and the grouper (Polipryon americanus), listed as endangered and vulnerable, respectively, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The project has contributed to the improvement of the management and conservation of two species of fishing interest on the coasts of Galicia and Asturias, such as the Atlantic grouper (Epinephelus Marginatus) and the grouper (Polipryon americanus), listed as endangered and vulnerable, respectively, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

This initiative has given continuity to the project developed by XRAq in the period 2011-2012 with the support of Fundación Biodiversidad and to continue collecting information about the wild populations of these two species.

See the project

Line of action:

Marine ecosystems

Status:

Finalizado

Execution date:

2014

To contribute to the improvement of the management and conservation of two species of fishing interest on the coasts of Galicia and Asturias, such as the Atlantic grouper (Epinephelus Marginatus) and the grouper (Polipryon americanus), listed as endangered and vulnerable, respectively, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Three relevant actions have been carried out

  • Obtaining data on Atlantic populations of grouper (E. marginatus) and grouper (P. americanus)). Direct and indirect methods have been used to carry out this activity: indirect methods have been based on the analysis, on the one hand, of official databases of national and regional catches and, on the other, of the carrying out of surveys.
  • Genetic characterisation of grouper broodstock using genetic markers developed by the genetics group of the University of Girona (collaborator of the project). From this action, 11 markers have been established and optimized that allow establishing the relationships between populations and carrying out kinship analysis to, on the one hand, control the stock of broodstock and juveniles in captivity and, on the other, repopulate with the individuals obtained from the culture.
  • Captive reproduction of grouper (E. marginatus). For this activity, they evaluated different culture conditions and diets to identify the optimal culture conditions, ensuring the obtaining of juveniles.

programa
linea de actuación

Improvements in fisheries management of a threatened species, grouper, through aquaculture