Seriola, lettuce, amberjack, lemon fish or…greenish. Same fish, but different names depending on the region where the Mediterranean is caught. From Alicante to Andalusia through the Balearic Islands and within a few months Japan, this fish is the second most admired fish after bluefin tuna. The Ministry of Ecological Transition has so far approved the project submitted by the company Alicante Aquacultura for captive breeding in a fish farm in the port of Alicante. 600 tons of fish One year on board a ship that will cover 9,000 square feet on the 11th quay, next to the Marine Fisheries Polytechnic Institute and the new location of MOE amphibious equipment. According to sources from the Port Authority, the aim is to raise the fry and then export them to Japan, the second most consumed and admired fish after bluefin tuna. A second container terminal for the port, which will be operated by JSV, is also planned on this quay.
The company informed the port that the investment will be two million euros. 20 permanent jobs and reclamation will be done in the pools inside the ship. The water will be taken from the sea and subjected to a microfiltration process to remove any residual particles.
amberjack, aquaculture In recent years, however, it remains one of the great unknowns. The fact is that “Seriola dumerili” or “seriola” is not a well-known name where this species has always been highly appreciated gastronomically in these countries. Japan. In Spain we usually call it lemon fish, a name that has changed throughout our geography.
Thus in Andalusia they know it as lecha or amberjack. In the Balearic Islands, cirvia, sirviola, or greens. In the Canary Islands it is called amberjack or lemon. In other regions it is also known as lily, blanquilla, coronado or machiamarillo. This saltwater treasure for aquaculture, bluefish with the quality name “sashimi”. Known for its unique amber line running from the muzzle to the dorsal fin of its body, it is a distinguishing feature and is the reason for the citrus name.
Yellowtail draws attention quality meat, similar to corvina and closely related to tuna. Therefore, it has wonderful nutritional properties. It provides protein, carbohydrates and Omega 3. Along with minerals such as iron, potassium, calcium, sodium and zinc and vitamins E, A, B, B9, B12 and B3. Its introduction as aquaculture is the result of years of research and work devoted to its knowledge.
The interest engendered by raising Amberjack fast growing, as well as meat. Its growth rate is 10 times higher than other species, and it can reach 2.75 kilograms per year. Other factors such as its good adaptation to life on farms and its high commercial value also make this species very suitable for aquaculture.
In 2021, the aquaculture industry produced 48,000 kilos of amberjack in Spain and helped create jobs and new growth opportunities for autonomous communities devoted to its cultivation. Andalusia, the Canary Islands and the Valencian Community stand out.
Regarding the farming method, aquaculture uses two technologies. On the one hand, Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS), that is, systems that involve the purification and reuse of water and where less than 10% of the total volume is replenished daily. On the other hand, cultivation has been developed in nursery farms floating in fertile environments in the sea.
In this process, the stages breeding and frying. For Amberjack, breeding companies (among other species) have developed and implemented a traditional method of feeding and weaning.
The second consists not in stopping a lactation period, but rather in finding the most effective way to feed the larvae when they have developed a functional stomach and can stop feeding on live prey. Weaning is also the most critical step when it comes to obtaining the best results for the production of specimens, the website states. Spain Fisheries.
A changed Mediterranean
Commitment to aquaculture, as well as its emergence as an alternative to the need to protect fisheries areas, and moreover, Mediterrenian Due to the increase in water temperature (this week is already 28 degrees and can reach 30 on the coast of the province in mid-August), they are under strong pressure, which can cause the displacement of non-native species. local marine fauna was with the inclusion of the zebra mussel a few years ago. The Mediterranean will bear the heaviest load, because by the end of the century it will withstand further temperature rises, changing its climate. salinity it will become faster and more acidic than the rest of the Spanish coastline. To all this is added more droughts and heatwaves at a rate that surpasses even the rest of the planet.
Reasons for the greater impact of climate change on the world Mediterrenian They are based on the fact that it is practically an isolated area. “Despite its connection with the Atlantic via the Strait of Gibraltar, the Mediterranean is a basin of concentration, which means that evaporation exceeds the contributions of precipitation and rivers,” says researcher Pablo Martín Sosa of the Spanish Institution of Oceanography. He also reminds us that high levels of urbanization on the coast are causing “higher levels of pollution”. Veronica Sidewalks.
The results are starting to show. Effects on growth to date, survival, fertility, migration and the phenology of pelagic (near-surface-living) and benthic (bottom-living) organisms. This includes damage to the entire food chain, from phytoplankton and marine vegetation to invertebrates and vertebrates. There are species that take longer to migrate, such as the bluefin tuna, and there are other species that decide to move to the Mediterranean, such as the zebra bream. For others, the heat and new conditions are unbearable, so they tend to fade away gradually, like upland water or blue ling.