Mediterranean Restorative Aquaculture Center opens in Spain

The new center aims to promote and advance the practice of restorative aquaculture within the aquaculture sector, combining traditional knowledge with advanced technologies to regenerate and improve aquatic ecosystems while generating social benefits for local communities.

Credits: IRTA

July 31, 2025

The Mediterranean Restorative Aquaculture Demonstration Center was officially inaugurated at the IRTA facilities in La Ràpita, becoming the first of its kind in Spain and the seventh in the Mediterranean and Black Sea region. It joins existing centers in Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Tunisia, Bulgaria, and Romania.

The new center has been established by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) of the FAO, in collaboration with the Catalan Ministry of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda (DACC) and the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA).

The center aims to become a reference point for research, innovation, and training in restorative aquaculture, an approach that combines the sustainable production of marine food (such as mussels, oysters, algae, and low-trophic-level fish) with the restoration of degraded aquatic ecosystems.

“The Mediterranean plays a strategic role in the development of regenerative aquaculture,” said Josep Usall, director general of IRTA. “We are demonstrating that it is possible to produce food while also improving water quality and strengthening ecosystem resilience in the face of climate change.”

Antoni Espanya, director general of Maritime Policy and Sustainable Fisheries, emphasized that “the aquaculture sector in the Ebro Delta is committed to adapting to climate change and to developing low-impact or even positively impactful aquaculture.”

The center will focus on the study of species such as macroalgae, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and bivalves through integrated multitrophic aquaculture systems, with the goal of fostering climate-resilient, environmentally friendly aquaculture. It will also host workshops and international conferences, including the first knowledge-sharing event scheduled for October 7–9, as announced by Miguel Bernal, executive secretary of the GFCM, who was present at the opening.

Bernal highlighted that “Demonstration Centers for Aquaculture are a key tool for promoting sustainable aquaculture. The launch of the La Ràpita center strengthens regional cooperation and knowledge exchange among Mediterranean and Black Sea countries.”