Potential interaction between meagre (Argyrosomus regius Asso, 1801) aquaculture and fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

Argyrosomus regius (Asso, 1801) is a species of particular interest for aquaculture, actually, it is a relatively new breeding species, but for its characteristics, it is one of the most promising. For aquaculture management and farming, meagre is generally considered an autochthonous Mediterranean species, however, there is evidences to support the thesis that meagre is a locally absent species across many areas of the Mediterranean Sea, because its presence is not homogeneous in all areas and over time. Consequently, the general aim of the present thesis was to evaluate the potential interaction of aquaculture and fisheries in relation to natural distribution of meagre. The distribution of three species of sciaenids was obtained through a review of scientific papers on fish assemblages, while to evaluate the relation between aquaculture and fishery, Mediterranean production data from the FishStatJ database and catches data from fisherman associations in the Comunidad Valenciana were used for a local analysis. Finally, the aquaculture production data of the Comunidad Valenciana were related to the historical hydrodynamic data of the Altea area. The study found that of the three species of sciaenids S.umbra is the most widespread in the Mediterranean, while U.cirrosa and A.regius less, in particular meagre, was found only on the coasts of Egypt. The analysis of fishing and aquaculture data did not reveal a statistical relation, while a linear regression between fishing data and hydrodynamics was identified, indicating that the largest fishing is due to the breakage of floating cages for bad weather. Finally, the possible consequences of escapes have been discussed and some measures to be taken to reduce the impact are proposed.