A network of 18 aquariums will save corals accidentally ‘caught’ in Catalonia

The Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC) has established an aquarium in Vilanova i la Geltrú in Barcelona dedicated to the rescue of species accidentally caught during fishing activities.

It is the first of 18 products to be installed in stages. different fishing associations on the Catalan coast where species such as gorgonians, corals, sponges and other organisms from the deep sea floor will be discussed. Eight more fraternities are expected to establish these aquariums by the end of the year.

the purpose is fishermen receive specific training in the care of specimens and the steps they must follow on board. facilitating the conservation of these species, which will later be recovered in aquariums established in the fraternity. They will then be returned to the sea.

Among the organisms that are usually caught by chance during the work of fishing vessels; corals or gorgonians. These are species that play a fundamental role in marine restoration.because they act as “marine architects”, building infrastructures that serve as shelter and food for other marine organisms.

In the case of the Gorgonians, the problem is even more serious, because They are very easily caught in the nets of bottom fish., with consequences that directly affect the survival of populations, as they have a very slow growth rate. On the other hand, it should be noted that the deep coral reef is a habitat for the benefit of society and therefore protected by the European Union Habitats Directive.

Restore 30,000 hectares of seafloor

In the Vilanova i la Geltrú aquarium, corals and gorgonians have already been rescued and the so-called “badminton” method, a procedure in which these specimens recovered from the nets “adhere to a rocky substrate that holds them upright and is thrown directly into the sea from boats” As announced a few days later by Life Ecorest, the project of which it is part, aimed at restoring nearly 30,000 hectares of deep-sea habitats between Barcelona and Girona.

With the recovery of captured specimens, marine communities accelerating “natural restoration” capacitiesFrom Life Ecorest, it indicates an impact that is more than necessary given the “lack of” protection these environments have after “decades of impact from human activities”.

So much so that project researchers, in the field of action, Between the coast of Barcelona and Girona, it is estimated that more than 90% of the seabed between 50 and 800 meters shows signs of deterioration.. An area also recognized as “a point of great ecological importance due to the high density of endangered, threatened or vulnerable species”.

Life Ecorest

Life Ecorest has actions planned until 2026 and is included in the European Union’s LIFE Programme.. The Federation of Fishermen’s Guilds of Girona, the Biological Diversity Foundation of the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, the University of Barcelona and WWF Spain adhered to this initiative.

In fact, the innovative element of the project is precisely unity of action between the scientific community and the fishing industry and other affiliated governments.

“Through these ecosystems, there are riches that we have been able to enjoy so far, and so we must be very careful and try to prevent them from returning to the sea if they are caught by accident and if they occur. María Jesús Rodríguez, director general of Biodiversity, Forests and Desertification, Ministry of Ecological Transition during the presentation of the project in March 2022. de Sancho,” he explained. “The active participation of fishermen is invaluable. This is the success of restoring marine ecosystems,” he says.

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Contact address of the environment department: crizclimatica@prensaiberica.es