20.4.1.3 Open Sea Aquaculture
Open sea aquaculture began during the late 1980s, with the development of a
commercial fattening operation of bluefin tuna caught by traps in M’diq Bay
(INRH 2000). This operation was carried out by a local fish trap, called “Principe,”
which worked in cooperation with Japanese partners. Bluefin tunas were fattened in
flexible floating cages, with a dimension of 120 m in length, 30 m in width, and 15 m
in height (net depth). The net was maintained in flotation by a series of different
types of buoys. The purpose of this activity was to improve the meat quality of
bluefin tunas and consequently to increase their market value. These tunas, caught by
the trap on their way back to the Atlantic Ocean after migration in the Mediterranean
for reproduction purposes, were low-fat. During their fattening process, they were
fed cheap fishes, mainly mackerel, and they increased their fat content. In the early
1990s, fattening activity in M’diq Bay was stopped due to the lack of bluefin tuna
capture.
In December 1993, an experimental joint venture project focused on bluefin tuna
farming was undertaken in M’diq bay. This bluefin tuna project (BFT project) was
developed by the Overseas Fishery Cooperation Foundation (OFCF) from Japan in
partnership with the National Institute for Fisheries Research (INRH) and Maritime
Fisheries Department (DPM) from Morocco (INRH 2010). The purpose of this
project was to breed and reproduce wild-caught breeders in captivity. During the
first 3 years, the former fattening facility was reused by BFT project, and then they
acquired its own cages.
Two breeders’ groups were reared by this project, and very interesting results
were obtained in terms of growth, but reproduction was very constrained. The
experimental hatchery, built in 1996 and initially designed according to BFT project
needs, was later converted and used for marine finfish aquaculture diversification
purposes by INRH and renamed as “Aquaculture Research Center” (INRH 2010).
Among the achieved research works made by this center since 2000, three important
fish species, red porgy (Pagrus pagrus), common dentex (Dentex dentex), and
meagre (Argyrosomus regius), have been studied in terms of captive breeding,
pre-growing, and growing.
The BFT project served as a demonstration and, in a practical way, an effective
promotion and enhancement of open sea aquaculture technology, particularly at the
local level. It had a beneficial effect on the development of sea bass and sea bream
farming in conventional floating cages, in M’diq Bay and in Martil bay, and a couple
of fish farms (Coprim-M’diq” later Aqua-M’diq in M’diq Bay and Doraloup in
Martil Bay) were created at the end of the 1990s (Nhhala 2018). These two farms had
concessions of about 8 hectares each and farming facilities composed of floating
cages with 12 m in diameter (Fig. 20.17). They initially targeted sea bass and sea
bream production and their production capacity were about 200 t/year. Their farming
process relies on fingerlings and fish feed imports from Europe, especially France
and/or Spain.
20 Aquaculture in the Alboran Sea
691
Open sea aquaculture began during the late 1980s, with the development of a
commercial fattening operation of bluefin tuna caught by traps in M’diq Bay
(INRH 2000). This operation was carried out by a local fish trap, called “Principe,”
which worked in cooperation with Japanese partners. Bluefin tunas were fattened in
flexible floating cages, with a dimension of 120 m in length, 30 m in width, and 15 m
in height (net depth). The net was maintained in flotation by a series of different
types of buoys. The purpose of this activity was to improve the meat quality of
bluefin tunas and consequently to increase their market value. These tunas, caught by
the trap on their way back to the Atlantic Ocean after migration in the Mediterranean
for reproduction purposes, were low-fat. During their fattening process, they were
fed cheap fishes, mainly mackerel, and they increased their fat content. In the early
1990s, fattening activity in M’diq Bay was stopped due to the lack of bluefin tuna
capture.
In December 1993, an experimental joint venture project focused on bluefin tuna
farming was undertaken in M’diq bay. This bluefin tuna project (BFT project) was
developed by the Overseas Fishery Cooperation Foundation (OFCF) from Japan in
partnership with the National Institute for Fisheries Research (INRH) and Maritime
Fisheries Department (DPM) from Morocco (INRH 2010). The purpose of this
project was to breed and reproduce wild-caught breeders in captivity. During the
first 3 years, the former fattening facility was reused by BFT project, and then they
acquired its own cages.
Two breeders’ groups were reared by this project, and very interesting results
were obtained in terms of growth, but reproduction was very constrained. The
experimental hatchery, built in 1996 and initially designed according to BFT project
needs, was later converted and used for marine finfish aquaculture diversification
purposes by INRH and renamed as “Aquaculture Research Center” (INRH 2010).
Among the achieved research works made by this center since 2000, three important
fish species, red porgy (Pagrus pagrus), common dentex (Dentex dentex), and
meagre (Argyrosomus regius), have been studied in terms of captive breeding,
pre-growing, and growing.
The BFT project served as a demonstration and, in a practical way, an effective
promotion and enhancement of open sea aquaculture technology, particularly at the
local level. It had a beneficial effect on the development of sea bass and sea bream
farming in conventional floating cages, in M’diq Bay and in Martil bay, and a couple
of fish farms (Coprim-M’diq” later Aqua-M’diq in M’diq Bay and Doraloup in
Martil Bay) were created at the end of the 1990s (Nhhala 2018). These two farms had
concessions of about 8 hectares each and farming facilities composed of floating
cages with 12 m in diameter (Fig. 20.17). They initially targeted sea bass and sea
bream production and their production capacity were about 200 t/year. Their farming
process relies on fingerlings and fish feed imports from Europe, especially France
and/or Spain.
20 Aquaculture in the Alboran Sea
691