MADRID, 6 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The brotherhoods participating in the seabed repopulation project ‘LIFE ECOREST’ – in which the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) participates as a partner – have begun the process of returning them to the sea. of corals, gorgonians and sponges that, after being rescued from fishing nets, have been released in areas of the Catalan coast.
The project, coordinated by the Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC) until 2026, has managed to recover aquariums installed in fishing guilds in Girona and Vilanova i la Geltrú (Barcelona). The first returns have taken place in Blanes and Llançà, where the work carried out has allowed more than 750 organisms to be rescued from fishing nets and recovered in aquariums so far.
These organisms are returned to the sea in the permanently closed areas where the project operates using the ‘Badminton method’, a technique that consists of fixing the organisms to a boulder and returning them to the sea from the deck of fishing boats. This process allows organisms to reach the seafloor and remain in an upright position, optimal for their survival according to their drivers.
To date, this methodology has been used in previous oceanographic campaigns developed by the ICM-CSIC and the University of Barcelona (UB) within the framework of the project, in which a total of 451 organisms have been released in four closed areas. a depth of between 90 and 140 meters.
During these campaigns, a bioreleaser (BiLi) has been used, designed to adapt the ‘Badminton method’ to great depth and be able to release a greater number of individuals at a time. The gorgonians Eunicella cavolini, Eunicella singularis affita and Leptogorgia sarmentosa, bryozoans; The soft coral Alcyonium palmatum, as well as different species of demosponges, have been the main organisms returned in oceanographic campaigns.
Thanks to the images obtained through a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV), it has been possible to verify the survival success of the restored gorgonians, which reaches 95% one year after the first return.
After the success of the oceanographic campaigns, a new stage in the project has begun, in which the return of organisms is carried out from fishing boats.
The LIFE ECOREST project seeks to restore nearly 30,000 hectares of deep marine habitats in Catalonia with the active participation of the fishing sector. In addition to research and conservation actions, participatory management of fishermen who are part of the project is also being promoted, strengthening governance mechanisms and raising awareness among the population about the importance of conserving deep marine habitats.
This initiative also has as partners the Territorial Federation of Fishermen’s Associations of Girona, the University of Barcelona and WWF Spain, as well as the financial contribution of the LIFE Program of the European Union.
2024-05-06 13:28:55
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