Imagining 2015 with AZTI

PREVENT ESCAPE: developing technology and knowledge for reducing fish escapes from aquaculture cages

Experts in technologies and aquaculture from the Basque AZTI-Tecnalia research centre, together with a number of researchers from the Industry & Transport and Energy Divisions of Tecnalia Research and Innovation, have worked jointly on the “Prevent Escape” project in order to provide solutions to concrete aspects such as (a) quantification at an EU level; (b) evaluation of the structural operational causes of escapes; and (c) response of installation materials and nets to environmental loads.

Escapes (understood as by fish or viable gametes) from aquaculture cages are a serious threat to the natural biodiversity of European waters. Nevertheless, information on their real effects on the environment has only been available due to research undertaken on the Norwegian salmon sector and has been limited or non-existent for the Atlantic cod, sea bass or the Mediterranean sea bream sectors. This is why a project was launched in which representatives from Norway, Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Malta, Greece and Canada have worked in order to document the scale of escapes in European aquaculture, focusing on the following aspects: (i) operational and biological risks and causes, (ii) ecological effects, (iii) the economic repercussion on the sector, (iv) prevention and (v) developing strategies and technologies for their mitigation.

These individuals may cause undesirable genetic effects amongst the native populations through cross-reproduction, as well as ecological effects through depredation, competition and transference of pathogenic agents to wild fish.

These escapes are caused both by environmental or biological events as well as by technical or operational faults such as the rupture of cage structures during severe meteorological phenomena, tears and holes in nets due to fish or predators biting through nets, or accidents during the handling of nets. Any of these can result in farmed fish and/or their gametes escaping.

The project reported that, between 2010 and 2012, nine million escapes by fish took place in Europe, the Mediterranean sea bream representing 75% of the total. Faults in mooring systems are the most significant cause of escapes in European aquaculture, followed by holes in nets due to biting by sea bream and cod (16%) or marine predators entering (14%). The recent application of the NS9415 technical standard in the Norwegian Atlantic salmon sector has managed to prevent escapes, regulating specific measures for the structure of the cages, the mooring systems and for auxiliary equipment. During the 2010-2012 period, the EU sea bream, sea bass, cod and salmon sectors have suffered economic repercussion (understood as loss of income by first sale/per year/per country per product) of 47.5M €.

The more than 20 scientific journal-indexed publications arising from the project have been published in high-impact scientific journals and have been compiled in a book which can be downloaded from the following link: http://preventescape.eu/?page_id=51.

Participants:

1. SINTEF Fisheries and Aquaculture, Norway.
2. Hellenic Centre of Marine Research, Greece.
3. University of Alicante, Spain.
4. Scottish Association of Marine Science, the United Kingdom.
5. Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Norway.
6. Nofima Institute of Food, Fishery and Aquaculture, Norway.
7. University of Crete, Greece.
8. Marine Institute, Ireland.
9. University of Malta.
10. AZTI-Tecnalia and Tecnalia Research and Innovation, Spain.
11. University of Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, Spain.