Aquaculture involves a series of activities intended to produce and/or fatten aquatic organisms (animals and plants) by developing all or part of the biological cycle of captive species via the application of techniques and methods of control over the organisms and/or their environment.
Aquaculture in Tenerife is a relatively recent economic activity and it is mainly carried out at sea. Currently, only gilt-head bream (Sparus aurata) and European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) are farmed, although new research projects are underway to farm local species, including red porgies, sargos and greater amberjacks.
There are 23 mariculture farms in Tenerife, occupying an area of 1.45 square kilometres (km2) and the maximum allowed production is 4800 tonnes.
A breakdown of the above data by geographical fronts shows 20 concessions in the western front, in an area of 1.16 km2 and with a maximum allowed production of 3220 tonnes. There are three authorised concessions in the eastern front, which has an area of 0.28 km2 and a maximum allowed production of 1580 tonnes. There are no mariculture concessions in the north front or any plans for farms in the near future.
The purpose of the island planning proposed by the Regional Regulatory Plan for Aquaculture is to set up an appropriate planning instrument for the socio-economic development of the aquaculture sector in particular, without sacrificing the potential to meet the needs and aspirations of other sectors, and the conservation of Tenerife Island's environmental values.
The content of the proposal coincides with Article 21 of Act 17/2003 on Fisheries in the Canary Islands, which stipulates the following:
The territorial scope of the proposal covers the marine-terrestrial zone set out in the Plan for the Territorial Planning of Tenerife (PIOT) at the 0-300 bathymetric level, which is government-owned.
The regulation of aquaculture activity in the marine-terrestrial government-owned area will focus on systems of floating cages in the ocean and temperate water fish.
In general, aquaculture can be classified into two large groups, depending on its characteristics: aquaculture carried out on land (continental aquiculture that uses fresh water) and mariculture (carried out in the ocean or on the coast).
In Tenerife, and on the Canary Islands in general, there is a limited tradition of fresh water species, and hence a limited market for them. This is because cultivation of this type has not been developed.
Mariculture (involving cultivation in the ocean or on the coast) covers a broad range of species (fish, molluscs, crustaceans and algae) that can be farmed using a number of methods (cages, tanks, baskets and other methods).