The survey of 13 Mediterranean countries showed that there are many common needs, problems and opportunities for the development of aquaculture that could best be handled by a regional project. These include the development of dependable sources of seed, improvement of culture methods for various species, formulation and preparation of suitable feeds, control of diseases, introduction of improved harvesting, processing and marketing methods and training of personnel in the management of production systems, including business aspects of aquatic farming.
Aquaculture is in various stages of development in the countries bordering the Mediterranean. In some, such as France, Italy and Spain, aquaculture of several species is well-developed and economically successful. In other countries, aquaculture is just beginning. A coordinated regional project to share currently available aquaculture technology would expand aquatic food production throughout the area.
The state of aquaculture also varies by species and culture method. For some species, such as oysters, mussels and for valli culture of sea bass, sea bream, mullet and eel, culture methods are well-developed and ready for application. For other species, such as shrimp and sole, and for culture of sea bass and sea bream in cage, pond or controlled environment systems, additional research, development and testing is needed before commercial-scale farming can be recommended. However, research and development projects, which are currently undertaken or planned on a national or local basis, may result in duplication of efforts or omission of important research areas. This situation would be alleviated by regional planning to coordinate research efforts.
A regional project would encourage cooperative efforts to expedite culture technology development and could mobilize technical and financial assistance from external sources. Obviously, the project would need to include sustained work for several years to provide solutions to all the problems identified, but it is expected that some of the immediate needs can be met by cooperative efforts in a period of about five to ten years.
Other common needs could be met more efficiently by a regional organization with a multidisciplinary staff and specialized consultants. These include information dissemination, training, marketing studies, and coordination with other regional programmes of importance to aquaculture development. In addition, a regional organization would have a catalytic effect in mobilizing resources and giving an overall impetus to aquaculture development in the participating countries.
A regional project would concentrate on the provision of essential support services which can be organized more efficiently and economically on a regional basis, but the actual production work must be organized on a national basis, mobilizing available resources and man-power within the countries themselves. Recommendations by the Mission for action by participating developing countries are contained in the country reports (Annex I). Those activities which are regional or of regional significance are listed in this section under the major areas of concentration of the Mediterranean Regional Aquaculture Project (MEDRAP).
It is not likely that MEDRAP, which is expected to be largely financed by UNDP, would have the resources to carry out all the proposed activities. Additional financial support therefore will have to be obtained from other sources, wherever necessary, for the implementation of national production programmes, as well as provision for the strengthening of MEDRAP's regional programme of work.
The Mediterranean Regional Aquaculture Project (MEDRAP) would include a regional headquarters established in one of the participating countries and a series of sub-projects in participating countries of the region. The Project would have a small staff of aquaculture specialists, with adequate provision for consultant services to meet the needs for implementation of various projects.
The principal functions of the Project staff will be to assist in the planning of various activities needed to expand aquaculture, to facilitate the transfer of technology through communications, workshops and training, to coordinate the work of the individual sub-projects, and to provide technical support to specific projects of regional significance. The core staff of the Project will be supplemented with short-term consultants, with appropriate specialities, such as engineering, economics, specialized culture technologies, nutrition, pathology, water quality control, sanitation, product technology, marketing, business administration, planning and training.
All the countries bordering the Mediterranean would be invited to participate in the regional project. The degree and kind of participation would vary with the needs and abilities of each country.
Regional activities would be planned to upgrade aquaculture in some countries by adapting and applying culture systems developed in others. This would yield significant benefits in a short time period. Other countries would be assisted in expanding research and testing activities to expedite the development of new or improved culture systems ready for application by individuals or small groups of fish farmers throughout the region. Special problem areas, such as nutrition, pathology, and later genetics, will require continuing research projects at appropriate locations within the region. Several regional activities that would be included in MEDRAP are described in the following sections.
In preparation for the implementation of the regional project, further details of activities to be undertaken on a cooperative and regional basis would be prepared. Each participating country would be assisted in preparing a National Action Plan, which would identify in detail the potential for developing coastal aquaculture in the country and the actions or projects to be implemented.
Aquaculture, especially of marine species, is a new activity in some parts of the region and planning of surveys, feasibility studies and specific projects may also require external assistance, which would be provided by MEDRAP.
MEDRAP planning functions would include:
providing technical assistance in planning of specific projects.
The specific planning activities that need to be organized in the different countries would be:
survey of the Mediterranean coast of Morocco to identify potential sites for aquaculture.
As discussed earlier, the transfer of technology within the region is a major means of aquaculture development under the proposed project. Culture methods used or being planned in some countries could well be applied in others. In some cases, methods used for culture of similar species elsewhere in the world may also be applicable in the Mediterranean region.
MEDRAP functions would include:
support to the Cooperative Programme of Research on Aquaculture (COPRAQ) of the General Fisheries Council for the Mediterranean (GFCM) to facilitate coordinated research and regional cooperation in this field.
A reliable supply of the appropriate type of seed is of crucial importance in successful aquaculture and it must be ensured that adequate quantities are produced, either by collection from the wild, or by hatchery techniques.
6.4.1 Seed collected from the wild
Mullet fry or fingerlings are used in traditional lagoon culture systems in several countries and for valli culture in Italy. An expansion of valli culture or pond culture will require much larger quantities of fry and fingerlings. Large quantities of mullet fry can be collected at several places, including El Mex near Alexandria, Egypt, and Messolonghi, Greece. These and other similar areas should be exploited to provide seed for part of the domestic and regional needs. However, it is unlikely that natural sources will be adequate to meet seed requirements for a major increase in mullet culture in the Mediterranean region.
Elvers are captured in France, Italy, Morocco, Spain and Tunisia; some are used directly as food, and some are used for pond culture in Italy. Fortunately, the supply of wild elvers appears to be adequate for a major increase in eel culture in the Mediterranean as the prospects for development of eel hatcheries in the near future is low.
Natural supplies of sea bass, sea bream and sole are sufficient for lagoon culture and for some expansion of valli culture. However, the supply of juveniles from the wild would be insufficient for a major expansion of valli culture or for grow-out of these species in ponds, cages or controlled environment systems.
Seed of the European flat oyster (O. edulis) is collected commercially in France, Greece, Italy, Spain and Yugoslavia and, experimentally in Morocco and Tunisia. The collection of the seed oysters could probably be expanded in several areas to meet regional needs. Methods have also been developed for artificial propagation of these species in hatcheries.
Seed of the Pacific or Japanese oyster (C. gigas) is available from the wild in France and Italy, and also from hatcheries in a few countries outside of the Mediterranean region.
Seed mussels can generally be collected from the wild in sufficient quantities in most places where mussel culture is planned.
6.4.2 Hatchery-produced seed
Mullet fry have been produced experimentally in hatcheries in China, Israel, Italy, Spain and the United States. Although seed mullet have not been produced on a commercial basis by artificial propagation, hatcheries are planned to be established in two locations in Egypt.
Sea bass larvae have been reared experimentally in France, Italy, Spain, Tunisia and Yugoslavia, and on a commercial scale in France and Italy. Production-scale hatcheries are planned to be established in France, Italy, Spain, Tunisia and Yugoslavia, but their economic viability has yet to be demonstrated.
Sea bream fry have been produced experimentally in France, Israel, Italy, Spain and Tunisia, and on a pilot scale in France and Italy. Several problems remain to be solved before commercial sea bream hatcheries will be successful.
Sole have been reared experimentally in hatcheries in Italy, Spain and Turkey, and on a pilot scale in France. There are no commercial ventures for artificial propagation of sole in hatcheries or for grow-out to marketable size, largely because feeding problems have not yet been solved.
Marine shrimp of the genus Penaeus have been grown experimentally in hatcheries in France, Italy and Spain, and in several countries outside of the Mediterranean region. As no ready source of juvenile shrimps has been found in any of the countries of the region, it is essential that hatchery technology be adopted for commercial shrimp farming.
Although seed oysters and seed mussels can be produced in hatcheries, it may not be necessary to adopt these techniques, at least in the next few years, because of the availability of seed from the wild. On the other hand, seed clams are not readily available from the wild and so development of commercial clam farming would require seed produced in hatcheries. One commercial clam hatchery and farm is in operation on the Atlantic coast of France, although its economic commercial viability has not yet been determined. A similar venture is planned for the Atlantic coast of Spain.
MEDRAP's assistance for seed production and distribution would include:
The main seed production activities proposed to be carried out in the participating countries would include:
The development of methods suitable under local conditions for rearing various species of fish, crustaceans and molluscs in the Mediterranean region is the keystone of a regional aquaculture programme. Culture systems must take into account the environmental conditions found in the countries bordering the Mediterranean, the cost of production and the available markets. Although several species of fish and molluscs are currently grown in this area by traditional systems, it is important to improve these culture methods to increase production and improve efficiency.
6.5.1 Valli culture
This method, which provides a moderate improvement over traditional lagoon culture, has been well-developed in Italy. It could be used more widely by transferring this technology to other countries through technical assistance, demonstrations and training of personnel.
6.5.2 Pond culture
The culture of eels in ponds on a commercial scale is reported to be economically successful in Italy. Commercial-scale pond culture of sea bass is being tried in France, but its economic viability has yet to be demonstrated. Commercial sea bass farms are now being planned in Italy and Spain.
The rearing of sea bream in ponds has begun or is planned in France, Italy and Tunisia.
Mullets are being cultured in ponds in Cyprus, Israel and Tunisia, and in Egypt where two large demonstration mullet farms are being constructed. This type of mullet culture has been shown to be economically successful only in Egypt and Israel, where they are grown in polyculture systems with carp and tilapia.
Shrimp culture in ponds, using seed produced in a hatchery, is being tried on a semi-commercial scale in France. Shrimp culture, at the experimental level, is in progress in Italy and Spain.
6.5.3 Cage culture
Experiments in cage culture of sea bass are in progress in Cyprus, France and Yugoslavia and commercial ventures are planned in France and Yugoslavia. When perfected, this culture method could also have application in Greece, Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey.
6.5.4 Controlled environment culture systems
The culture of eels in tanks or raceways, in which the aquatic environment is maintained at the optimum level, is in an experimental stage in Italy. One system in Italy uses thermal effluents from a steel plant to grow blind eels to elver stage in concrete tanks within a large building. Grow-out from elver to market-sized eels is accomplished in outdoor ponds. Culture of sea bass in controlled environment systems is being tried in France and Italy.
Shrimps have been grown in controlled environment systems on a pilot scale in France and in several places outside the Mediterranean region. Raceway culture of shrimp is planned to be undertaken in the near future in Italy and Spain.
When perfected, systems of culture in a controlled environment can be expected to find application in many places in the Mediterranean region, where clean salt water and an economical means of maintaining suitable temperatures are available.
6.5.5 Improved mollusc culture systems
Much of the oyster and mussel culture in the Mediterranean follows traditional labour intensive methods, acceptable only because of the high price of the product. Some efforts to upgrade oyster culture systems have been made in France, Italy and Yugoslavia. However, additional work needs to be done to reduce production costs by designing more efficient systems, some of which might be based on methods of oyster and mussel culture tried in other parts of the world. However, oyster and mussel culture could be expanded significantly in the Mediterranean region, simply by applying traditional methods used in France, Italy, Spain and Yugoslavia to other countries in which the environment is suitable for these species.
MEDRAP's assistance in the development of culture technology would, therefore, concentrate on:
The specific projects to be implemented in the participating countries with the assistance of MEDRAP staff and consultants are:
Information is needed regarding the basic nutritional requirements of most species and the extent to which feeds commercially available in the region could meet these requirements, both from the biological as well as the economic points of view. This will need appropriate research, including the formulation, preparation and testing of various types of feeds. It is a relatively new area of research in mariculture, as most of the work so far performed relates to freshwater species.
Some work on nutrition and feeds has already been started in Italy on mullet, and in France on sea bass, sea bream, shrimp and mullet, but considerable expansion of these studies is needed.
MEDRAP's activities relating to feed development will include:
Methods and procedures for controlling mortality of cultured species caused by diseases or adverse environmental conditions will become increasingly important as fish culture progresses from extensive to intensive systems. Although there is some experience in the control of mortality of some species, little is known about the diseases, parasites and environmental requirements of most species.
MEDRAP would therefore provide assistance in:
MEDRAP would also assist in carrying out the following specific activities having regional importance in Yugoslavia:
Areas suitable for aquaculture must be protected from pollution by industrial wastes, pesticides, domestic wastes, or effluents from aquaculture itself. Such areas should be reserved for aquatic food production. Within the framework of the Mediterranean Blue Plan, MEDRAP would, in close cooperation with UNEP, assist in:
New aquaculture ventures will require facilities and procedures for preparing their products for shipment to domestic and export markets. Operators will need assistance in establishing procedures for meeting health and sanitation requirements, maintaining high quality and preparing the product in the form most acceptable to the market.
Expansion of aquaculture production will increase regional supplies of certain products. It must be ensured that this does not create distribution and marketing problems. MEDRAP would concentrate its activities on the provision of necessary assistance for:
Production of fish, crustaceans or molluscs and harvesting, processing and selling the product requires technical and business management skills. New aquatic farmers and enterprises will need assistance in the selection of sites, design of facilities, management of production systems, and in the business aspect of aquaculture. MEDRAP would provide such assistance through its technical staff and consultants, and also through short-term courses as required.
