Line of action:

Status:

Execution date:

To improve the resilience and environmental and socioeconomic sustainability of fish farming in the open sea in the face of Global Change, through applied science for the development of adaptive plans for the management of fish escapes in the Valencian Community and the Region of Murcia.

Specific objectives of the project:

1. Promote participatory management in relation to fish escapes, creating working groups at regional and national level with representation of the parties involved: production companies, fishermen’s associations, competent administrations and research centres.
2. Model the frequency, magnitude, and causes of leaks, to anticipate future scenarios of global change.
3.Increase scientific knowledge on the socio-economic impact of escape events to identify hotspots and propose
management improvements.
4.Identify methods to improve the traceability of escaped fish entering distribution chains, in order to increase food safety for consumers.
5. To deepen the knowledge of the environmental interactions that escaped fish can have in the marine ecosystem and their adaptation to the natural environment.
6. Design an adaptive leak management plan, which can be adjusted to the needs and characteristics of each Autonomous Community and facility, and which mitigates the socio-economic and environmental impact of leaks.

0.Communication and dissemination of the project
1.Creation of 2 regional
working groups 2.Organization of 1 national
round table 3.Modelling of the frequency, magnitude and causes of escapes
4.Proposal of techniques for recapture
5.Analysis of traceability, food safety and adaptation to the natural
environment 6.Presentation of scientific criteria for the development of a framework plan for the management of escapes
7.Publication of an informative guide on escape management
8. Presentation of the main milestones and results of the project
9.Bilateral
meetings 10.Socio-economic analysis of escape events

The GLORIA project has made progress in the establishment of scientific-technical criteria to contribute to the implementation of fish escape prevention and management plans in the Valencian Community and the Region of Murcia. The production sector has been involved from the beginning, as well as regional administrations and fishermen’s associations, with the aim of reducing losses caused by extreme weather events and thus minimising the socio-economic and environmental impact that escapes can cause.

In addition, advanced statistical tools have been implemented to predict the occurrence of escapes with the increase in extreme weather events that can be used by production companies, not only in the autonomous communities where the project is being developed, but also in other neighboring regions at a national and international level.

Regarding the traceability of farmed species, fish have been detected from escapes in fish markets, wholesale markets and retail sales with the aim of increasing knowledge of the origin of the fish to end consumers. A booklet has even been prepared with the identification of the fishing gear that can be the best tool for the recapture of fish in the event of escape and that are based on a collaboration between the fishing and aquaculture sectors.

Regarding the work of dissemination, communication and publicity, within the framework of the GLORiA project, a scientific article has been published in the journal frontiers in Open Access and participation has been made in MEDNIGHT 2021 “The night of the researchers”, with a contest where the 45 participants were able to identify fish of wild origin from those of farmed fish. In addition, four communications have been made to international congresses.