Today the official recognition of IRTA la Ràpita as the Demonstration Center for Restorative Aquaculture of the Mediterranean was inaugurated. In doing so, the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) of the FAO, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, expands to seven the number of centers recognized in this field in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. The new center, the only one in Spain, thus joins those in Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Tunisia, Bulgaria, and Romania.
The goal is for IRTA in La Ràpita to become a regional reference center for innovation and capacity development in restorative aquaculture. This concept encompasses a series of strategically important practices that positively impact ecosystems, offering ecological benefits, creating opportunities for local communities, and addressing climate change through adaptation and mitigation strategies, with the aim of producing high-quality food sustainably and integrated with the natural environment. Restorative aquaculture includes a wide range of activities, such as seaweed production, sea urchin and bivalve farming, integrated multi-trophic aquaculture systems, and the restocking of species in the marine environment.
Antoni Espanya, Director of Maritime Policy and Sustainable Fisheries of the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food, who took part in the inauguration, stated that “this is low-impact aquaculture or even one with a positive impact on the environment. Comprised of herbivorous species, or those at low trophic levels and filter-feeders, as in the case of mussels or oysters, which has a beneficial effect since it improves water quality.” He added that “the aquaculture sector of the Delta is very interested in developing new lines of work and adapting to the challenges posed by climate change, such as the rise in temperature and sea level.”
Meanwhile, Josep Usall i Rodié, Director General of IRTA, highlighted that “the Mediterranean plays a strategic role in the development of regenerative aquaculture. From IRTA La Ràpita, with the first Mediterranean Center for Restorative Aquaculture, we are demonstrating that it is possible to produce foods such as mussels, oysters, or macroalgae, while at the same time restoring degraded habitats, improving water quality, and strengthening ecosystem resilience to climate change.” According to Usall, “the combination of cutting-edge research, integrated multi-trophic culture systems, and international collaboration means that our coastline is charting the course toward a blue economy that creates jobs, ensures healthy food, and reduces the environmental footprint. Catalonia and the Mediterranean are called to lead this sustainable transformation that benefits the planet and people.”
The Ebro Delta will become a reference point in the Mediterranean region for the development of sustainable systems for the production of aquatic organisms, as well as a space for the transfer of knowledge and innovation on these topics. An example of this transformative spirit is the international workshop to be held at IRTA La Ràpita in October. More than 20 researchers, technical staff, industry representatives, and administrators will participate in these sessions, which will cover the cultivation of seaweeds, bivalves, and fish.
The center will conduct studies on low trophic level species, such as macroalgae and microalgae, sea urchins, bivalves, holothurians, and integrated multi-trophic aquaculture systems. It will promote research, knowledge exchange, and training to develop climate-resilient and sustainable aquaculture practices.
These studies are intended to reshape the aquaculture sector by combining traditional knowledge with advanced technologies, thereby ensuring the long-term viability of aquatic ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. In addition, it will provide state-of-the-art facilities and expertise for knowledge exchange, research, and the development of sustainable aquaculture practices.
In the Ebro Delta, a first pilot test of seaweed production for human consumption has already been successfully carried out. This is a sector intended to be developed as a complement to the traditional production of mussels and oysters in the Alfacs and Fangar bays. It is expected that around a dozen such projects will be carried out in the coming years. One example is the oyster hatchery being promoted by the Directorate General of Maritime Policy and Sustainable Fisheries (DGPMPS) in collaboration with IRTA to supply the sector with local oyster seed for production in the bays of the Ebro Delta: FEPROMODEL. It is expected that this oyster will better adapt to the area’s climatic conditions, improving its survival against diseases and climate change. This project aims to transfer all technology and knowledge to the sector, so that it can use its own seed and become less dependent on imports from third countries.
Enric Gisbert, head of the aquaculture program at the Institute, explained how “IRTA is carrying out innovative projects in multi-trophic cultures, aquatic ecosystem restoration, and climate change adaptation, consolidating itself as a reference center for restorative aquaculture in the Mediterranean. This position facilitates collaboration with other centers and organizations, ensures access to funding and international projects, and allows us to drive the blue economy and the resilience of local aquaculture and maritime sectors, guaranteeing the generation of social, environmental and economic benefits for the territory.”
The Center aims to become a reference space for research and knowledge transmission in a field that fully aligns with Catalonia’s Maritime Strategy 2030, which includes among its goals the development of the blue economy potential of its maritime area, ensuring social and territorial balance based on resilient, biodiverse, and fully functional ecosystems that provide society with high-quality services.
The funding for this center over the next 4 years will be €631,907, provided through the co-financing of funds from the budget of the Department of Agriculture of the Generalitat of Catalonia, with 70% co-financing from the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), and a portion from IRTA’s budget.
“Aquaculture Demonstration Centers (ADCs) are a key tool of the GFCM to promote sustainable aquaculture in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. The inauguration of the new Ràpita center represents an important step in the promotion of restorative aquaculture, providing knowledge, innovation, and technical cooperation. This center not only strengthens local capacity, but also actively contributes to the regional ADC network, which are essential spaces for the exchange of knowledge and best practices among all sector stakeholders,” says Miguel Bernal, Executive Secretary of the GFCM.
The GFCM committed to organizing annual international knowledge transfer days at the Ràpita Center. Its Executive Secretary, Miguel Bernal, present at today’s inauguration, announced that the first of these events will take place on October 7, 8, and 9.
