Traditional extensive coastal and semi-intensive aquaculture systems in Southern Europe are facing difficulties, especially due to increased competition for coastal areas by other candidate users and market competition, due to low-price products from intensive aquaculture. However the positive effects of extensive and semi-intensive aquaculture in coastal areas– including environmental protection and restoration in areas of particular ecological interest, employment opportunity and development in rural and coastal areas - have been clearly recognised within EU policy.
The final goal of the SEACASE project is to develop effective tools for maintenanceof competitiveness, productivity, profitability and thus sustainability of extensive and semi-intensive aquaculture production in Southern Europe, while minimizing its environmental impacts and improving the quality and public image of its products. The project will be based on case studies coveringa wide variety of production systems and geographical locations (Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Greece), although some basic technological improvements will also be studied.
Environmentally friendly farming protocols will be analyzed and/or developed and certification possibilities will beassessed and proposed for voluntary use by the industry. Quality markers will be studied in order to be able to differentiate aquaculture products from extensive and semi-intensive systems from the ones produced in intensive systems. Some of such markers may also facilitate product traceability. A socio-economic assessment of the selected production systems will be produced. Where possible this analysis will be completed by an assessment of potential non-market benefits and costs, including social and patrimonial aspects.

Scientific Publications

Cardinal, M, J, Cornet, C, Donnay-Moreno, JP, Gouygou, JP, Bergé E, Rocha, S, Soares, C, Escórcio, P, Borges, LMP, Valente. 2011. Seasonal variation of physical, chemical and sensory characteristics of sea bream (Sparus aurata) reared under intensive conditions in Southern Europe. Food Control 22 (3-4): 574-585. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2010.10.007

Dias, J, LEC, Conceição, AR, Ribeiro, P, Borges, LMP, Valente, MT, Dinis. 2009. Practical diet with low fish-derived protein is able to sustain growth performance in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) during the grow-out phase. Aquaculture 293 (3-4): 255-262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2009.04.042

Dias, J, M, Yúfera, LMP, Valente, P, Rema. 2010. Feed transit and apparent protein, phosphorus and energy digestibility of practical feed ingredients by Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis). Aquaculture 302: 94-99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2010.02.013 

Ferriera, HQ, AR, Ribeiro, J, Dias, M, Yúfera, AM, Arias, M, Falcão, D, Serpa, T, Aires, P, Pousão-Ferreira, ME, Cunha, LMP, Valente, MT, Dinis, L, Conceição. 2010. Sustainable Semi-intensive polyculture of seabream and sole in earth ponds. Aquaculture Europe, 35 (3): 17-21. http://hdl.handle.net/10261/50643

Valente, LMP, J, Cornet, C, Donnay-Moreno, JP, Gouygou, JP, Bergé, M, Bacelar, C, Escórcio, E, Rocha, F, Malhão, M, Cardinal. 2011. Quality differences of gilthead sea bream from distinct production systems in Southern Europe: intensive, integrated, semi-intensive or extensive systems. Food Control 22: 708-717. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2010.11.001