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Yellowtail snapper, Ocyurus chrysurus. (Photo: Transity/CC BY-SA 3.0)
Biotechnology to farm sea cucumber and yellowtail snapper under development
MEXICO
Monday, December 22, 2014, 00:40 (GMT + 9)
A team of specialists from the Regional Centre for Fisheries Research (CRIP) of the National Fisheries Institute (Inapesca) in Yucalpeten, Yucatan, is working on the development of biotechnology for growing sea cucumber (Isostichopus badionotus) and yellowtail snapper (Ocyurus chrysurus).
Through this initiative, the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA) aims to establish a proper management of these resources, which have high demand and market value, and implement farming technologies that help reduce the current fishing pressure.
CRIP’s research coordinator, Magali Zacarias Soto, said that they plan to create a production unit of larval and juvenile sea cucumber and yellowtail snapper.
The installation of the seed production unit of marine organisms within the premises of CRIP Yucalpeten began this year. Three laboratories will be installed here namely, reproduction, larval rearing and live food.
The proponents of this project hope to maintain a constant production of organisms, which can be supplied to producers interested in fattening them.
Seeds will be distributed in farming areas, where overfished natural population has already been identified.
If demand and marketing prove successful, the idea is to incorporate a fattening and juvenile maintenance section.
As work to install the unit production is finished, wild breeding specimen of both resources will be captured for acclimatisation to farming conditions established for each one, Zacarias Soto explained.
Inapesca expects to have the first batch of juvenile sea cucumber approximately three inches in length by the end of 2015. Later, repopulation testing will be carried out in their habitat and in 2016, the first yellowtail snapper juvenile would be produced.
Once the project progresses, the participation of business and producers will be promoted to establish aquaculture farms to grow both resources.
The researcher explained that CRIP Yucalpeten would offer investors and producers technical advice on growing sea cucumber and yellowtail snapper.
Sagarpa also plans to reach agreements with other research institutions such as Ensenada Centre for Scientific Research and Higher Education (CICESE), Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC) and Universidad Marista to jointly develop nutrition, physiology genetics and biotechnology studies.
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By Analia Murias
editorial@seafood.media
www.seafood.media
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