The Fish Stock Enrichment Initiative involved releasing farmed baby Hamour and Seabream into the sea. The increase in Hamour stock amounted to 100% by the end of 2022, at a rate of 2,000 tonnes.
The Fish Stock Enrichment Programme aimed to support fish stock with baby farmed fish, especially species with stocks threatened by overfishing, such as Hamour and other species, to maintain balance between fishing quantities and stock size, ensuring the sustainability of fisheries for current and future generations.
The programme enriches the stock of high economic value fish, such as seabream and silver seabream, which is available in limited quantities in fisheries, contributing to higher fish production.
A specialised team prepares in advance for the release of baby fish to ensure its success, equipping fish transport tanks, preparing air pumps, oxygen cylinders and boats. Baby fish are then loaded and transported from the hatchery to the designated trucks and boats, based on predetermined release sites, and subsequently released into the targeted marine areas.
The transport and release operations are overseen by a team from the Aquatic Research Centre, in collaboration with experts and technicians in the field. The selection of release sites is subject to a set of specifications and standards, including scientific criteria for suitable marine areas for the release of baby fish. The areas selected include fish nursery zones, natural nursery areas for marine fish, mangroves and protected areas where fishing is prohibited.
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