Thursday 19 May 2011. With the collaboration of the Spanish Foundation for Biodiversity, the Charter Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa and the Basque Water Agency (URA), the AZTI-Tecnalia R+D Centre will be studying the re-stocking of the three eel phases (elver, large elver and eel) over the months of May, June and July, respectively, in three streams of the Oria basin. This joint initiative aims to gather the information needed to be able to manage the species and thus contribute to the conservation goals established in the "Management Plan for European Eel of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country (region)" approved by the European Commission on 1 October 2010.

The studies carried out will enable the survival and growth of these three phases of the European eel to be verified so that tools geared towards the implementation of the plans to recover the species can be developed and applied. In addition to re-stocking, the project will enhance the information on the situation of the elver phase, it will estimate the escapement of the silver eel as well as the mortality caused by hydroelectric installations during the reproduction phase, and will also calculate how much of the Oria basin surface corresponds to wetlands.

Even though the study will take place in a pilot basin (that of the Oria), the information, methodologies, tools and proposals that are developed will potentially be applicable in other basins in the area where the species is distributed, in particular in those of the north of Spain, since they share very similar features with the basins in the pilot project.

A species of great interest

The European eel, the scientific name of which is Anguilla anguilla, is a peculiar species from a biological point of view, of great scientific interest and with a great fishing tradition in many zones of its distribution area, including the Basque Country. Present in nearly all of Europe and North Africa, most of its growth takes place in fresh water and it spawns in the Sargasso Sea.

Eel stocks have undergone a sharp decline throughout Europe over the last few decades as a result of the accumulation of different factors: loss and alteration of its habitats, contamination, obstacles preventing its movement in rivers, overfishing, oceanographic changes, and diseases and parasites.

"Management plan for European Eel of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country"

Officially passed by the European Commission in October 2010, it is the result of the requirement of Council Regulation (EU) No. 1100/2007 of 18 September 2007 that establishes measures for the recovery of European eel stock as well as programmes for its monitoring and research.

The European eel management plan in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country includes specific measures and provides for a monitoring plan and a research plan. All this is designed to reduce eel mortality, and the following steps are being considered to achieve this: measures to reduce the fishing of it, measures for re-introducing it, improvement of habitats and river connectivity, and the fight against predation and others linked to aquaculture.

The following fishing restrictions are among the measures to be adopted:

• Strict compliance with the conditions for renewing fishing licenses
• Quota: 2kg of elvers per fisherman/woman per day, in both modalities and in all the basins 
• Making the fishing season shorter: 15 November-31 January (currently 15 October to 15 March)
• Designation of permanent reserves: 3 principal river basins and 2 "secondary" rivers (Oiartzun, Urumea and Barbadun-Iñurritza, and Andrakas).

Eel fishing has been banned for the last three years.

• To achieve coherent international management of resources is one of the main aims
• The meeting is due to take place in Bilbao on 12 and 13, and brings the TXOTX project, led by the Basque R+D Centre, to a conclusion

(Sukarrieta. 12 May 2011) AZTI-Tecnalia, an R+D Centre specialising in marine and food research, will be bringing together well-known scientists from all over the world involved in fishery management in the international waters of all the Oceans. This meeting is going to be the culmination of the international project known as TXOTX (Technical eXperts Overseeing Third country eXpertise). Its main aim is to gather as much information as possible on the fishery research developed in various regions of the Oceans in order to achieve effective coordination and cooperation among countries, regional fishery organisations and other bodies involved in fishery management. All this is designed to contribute towards the sustainability of the marine environment and of its fishery resources. The conference will take place on 12 and 13 May at the Euskalduna Conference Centre in Bilbao and will be inaugurated by Jon Azkue, the Deputy Minister for Fisheries and Foodstuff Industries of the Government of the Basque Autonomous Community (region).

To contribute towards better management of the fishery resources being exploited by the Basque fleets is one of the aims of the AZTI-Tecnalia R+D Centre. With this aim in mind, it leads many initiatives, including the TXOTX project that is part of the European Union's 7th Framework Programme. This project, funded by the European Commission and the Department for the Environment, Spatial Planning, Agriculture and Fisheries of the Government of the Basque Autonomous Community, was started in April 2008, and will now be culminating in Bilbao with a meeting that will be attended by over 30 representatives of the main Regional Fishery Organisations worldwide, as well as by representatives of various countries with fishery interests.

Scientists from Regional Fishery Organisations, as well as various agents from the international fishery sector, have over a period of three years been gathering information which they will be sharing during the working meetings at the Euskalduna Conference Centre. All this is designed to contribute towards a coherent approach of the research, evaluation and management of fishery resources, in particular, in those areas in which the European fleet is involved, in international waters as well as in those of third countries. Furthermore, the project will be analysing opportunities for greater coordination of the research that may be promoted by the EU in support of the scientific reports on fishery management. This way, the conclusions and recommendations of the scientists will be submitted not only to the EU but also to other International Bodies, so that they can constitute basic information for future scientific fishery policies.

The TXOTX project seeks to contribute towards a coherent approach of the research, evaluation and management of fishery resources, in particular in those areas in which the European fleet is involved, in international waters as well as in those of third countries. So the TXOTX project is crucial in achieving the rational international management of resources, since international scientific co-operation in support of fishery management is necessary to ensure the correct evaluation and sustainable management of resources.

Sustainability of resources

States have an obligation to watch over the sustainability of the fishery resources they exploit, they must be actively involved in promoting responsible fishing, and appropriate and coordinated scientific research. As far as the EU is concerned, the moves must be consistent with the main international agreements in this matter (UNCLOS, CCRF, UNIA, CMDS) which are designed to contribute towards the sustainability of the marine resources and must ensure that the different European policies are in line with each other.

The TXOTX initiative, led by AZTI-Tecnalia, has the participation of another 10 institutions in Europe, South America and Africa: the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) and Imperial College London, both of which are British; the Institute for Fishery Development of Chile (IFOP); the University of Stockholm; the University of Cape Town; the International Fisheries and Maritime Development Consultancy (NFDS-África) of Botswana; the Fishery Authority of the Seychelles; the National Institute of Fisheries Research (INRH) of Morocco; as well as the Institute for Marine Research (IMS) and the Fishery Institute, both of Tanzania.

Este año la anchoa adquiere una importancia especial, no sólo porque por segundo año consecutivo se sigue avanzando hacia la normalización de esta pesquería, sino porque en 2011 se cumple el 25 aniversario de la campaña Bioman para la estima de la biomasa de la anchoa. 25 años durante los cuales el seguimiento del estado de la población de la anchoa y su evolución han permitido al centro tecnológico AZTI-Tecnalia, con la financiación del Gobierno Vasco y la Unión Europea, asesorar con bases científicas sobre la recuperación y sostenibilidad de este recurso y reabrir las expectativas de las flotas que los explotan, con el consiguiente beneficio económico y social. En la actualidad supone, junto con la campaña francesa realizada por Ifremer utilizando técnicas acústicas, la serie más consistente de evaluación de esta pesquería.

Las actividades que, en torno a la anchoa está desarrollando AZTI-Tecnalia son múltiples. Así, como viene siendo habitual y como ya ya lo hiciera en Getaria el fin de semana pasado, el centro tecnológico participará en la Arrain Azoka de Bermeo (13 al 15 de mayo) que este año tendrá como producto estrella a la anchoa y que servirá para dar a conocer las bondades de esta especie cuya pesquería se reabrió en 2009 tras una veda de cuatro años. Además de su presencia en el stand de Udalarrantz, investigadores de AZTI-Tecnalia han colaborado en la realización de la una guía dirigida especialmente a los consumidores.

Así mismo, el pasado 6 de mayo partieron del puerto de Pasaia los buques "Investigador" y "Emma Bardán", en los que, en el marco de Bioman, embarcaron técnicos de AZTI-Tecnalia en una campaña que sobrepasará los 20 días de duración. Los muestreos y estudios que realicen, junto con aquellos que a continuación se realizarán en los laboratorios de este centro en su sede de Pasaia, permitirán determinar el área de reproducción, la producción diaria de huevos y la fecundidad de la anchoa en la zona. Estos estudios servirán para estimar la biomasa de la especie en el área del golfo de Bizkaia.

Dentro del Programa Empleaverde 2007-2013 de la Fundación Biodiversidad y con la cofinanciación del Fondo Social Europeo, el próximo 25 de mayo se celebrará la jornada gratuita ‘Zuvisost' en el Edificio Cuadrilla Rioja Alavesa Carretera Vitoria nº 2. Laguardia y con la colaboración de la Asociación de Bodegas de Rioja Alavesa (ABRA).

El objetivo de estas sesiones es la de formar a los empleados de bodegas y envasadoras de zumos de fruta en técnicas de producción limpia y eficiencia medioambiental.

La finalidad de las jornadas es lograr que las empresas puedan crear sus propios Planes de Producción Limpia, así como un mejor aprovechamiento de los recursos en la elaboración de vino y zumos.

La formación de los trabajadores del sector bebidas en aspectos ambientales de su labor diaria resulta fundamental para conseguir una producción sostenible y respetuosa con el medio ambiente. La jornada, que estará conducida por técnicos del centro experto en investigación alimentaria AZTI-Tecnalia, es una continuación de las dos sesiones que tuvieron lugar en junio de 2010. Además de realizar un repaso de los conceptos generales expuestos el las dos sesiones precedentes, sobre todo para aquellos asistentes que no acudieron a la anterior cita, se incidirá en aspectos como la metodología para la mejora continua y las acciones correctivas, el ecodiseño y los indicadores ambientales. También se tratará sobre los sistemas de gestión ambiental, la gestión valorización de los residuos y el marketing verde. Finalmente, la sesión concluirá con un ejercicio práctico para el cálculo de la huella de carbono.

Con esta iniciativa se busca que los asistentes sean capaces de implantar en su empresa un Plan de Producción Limpia que integre todas las materias tratadas en el encuentro formativo y que mejore la imagen de la empresa.

Estas jornadas suponen una gran oportunidad para las empresas fabricantes y envasadoras de vino y zumos que quieran reducir costes en sus procesos productivos. Están dirigidas a trabajadores cualificados y no cualificados de cualquier área de la actividad: producción, calidad, medio ambiente, compras, mantenimiento, etc.

En la web zuvisost.azti.es los profesionales del sector que quieran inscribirse podrán hacerlo gratuitamente. La organización enviará confirmación a los participantes seleccionados.

PROGRAMA:

• Herramientas avanzadas de mejora ambiental
  • Acciones correctivas. Metodología para mejora continúa.
  • Ecodiseño: análisis de ciclo de vida.
  • Indicadores ambientales.
  • Marketing verde.
  • Gestión y valorización de residuos.
  • Sistemas de Gestión: ISO 14001, EMAS...
• Ejercicios prácticos de implantación de la Producción Limpia