This thesis, supervised by Ana Sanz Rus and Manuel García Gallego, finishes a wide research work developed by Alberto Domezain Fau, director of the department of R&D of the company Piscifactoría Sierra Nevada of Riofrío (Granada). In an attempt to diversify the supply of Spanish continental aquaculture, they have chosen the Acipenser naccarii, a species of sturgeon indigenous of the Iberian Peninsula. Different universities have collaborated in this work, apart from the University of Granada.
The fine tuning of the fish farm technology by means of the management of the species´ whole biological cycle, has allowed to locate in Granada the biggest world stock of the species which allows an increasing ecological production, both of meat and caviar. It is the first time that these foods are obtained in an environment-friendly way and they are being exported to countries like USA, France, Italy amd Germany at present. In addition, this methodology, which controles reproduction, lays the foundations of plan for the recovery of sturgeon in the Guadalquivir through aquaculture.
The thesis fits into the project of the Ministry of Science and Technology Study of different physiological and histological aspects in the acipenser sturgeon. It has been necessary to do research into different subject matters like physiology, nutrition, systematics, genetics, ecology and etology or the behaviour of the species. In this sense, the participation of different public research organizations has been decisive.
Economic repercussion
“The obtained data on the biology and physiology of this species increase the knowledge heritage on sturgeons, real living fossiles”, according to the authors of the work. The fine tuning of the fish farm technology (fishes farming in captivity) is opening the way to the expansion of a far-reaching industrial activity in the province of Granada.
These works lay the foundations of a recovery process of this seriously endangered biological heritage of the region. “This would probably open a wide range of possibilities to fishing and other connected activities”, point out the researchers, who think that the involvement of public administrations is necessary.
Further information:
Alberto Domezain Fau.
Phone number: 608 12 79 38. E-mail:domezain@ingenia.es
Ana Sanz Rus. Department of Animal Biology and Ecology. Faculty of Science of the University of Granada. Phone number: 958 24 32 43. E-mail: anasanz@ugr.es
Manuel García Gallego
Department of Animal Biology and Ecology. Faculty of Science of the University of Granada. Phone number: 958 24 94 76. E-mail: magarga@ugr.es
