May 9, 2011
Stolt Sea Farm to set up largest EU sole farm in Cadiz
Norwegian company Stolt Sea Farm has announced plans to set up the largest EU sole production and hatchery farm in Barbate and Santa MarÃa Port, in Cadiz, Spain.
Stolt Sea Farm manager Niels Stolt Nielsen stated that after 13 years of research it was decided that Cadiz had met "all the necessary qualities for sole and turbot hatchery and production."
The businessman introduced the Soleaqua farm implementation project together with the director of the firm in Spain, Pablo GarcÃa, and the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Clara Aguilera.
Sole production would start on the 20-hectare farm of RetÃn, recently granted by the Ministry of Defence to Barbate (Cádiz).
Garcia stressed that sole production is "very delicate due to all the required specific conditions", EFE news agency reported.
Stolt Sea Farm plans to raise and fatten the sole on the premises of the Port Authority of Santa Maria Port, where the fish will remain until reaching their minimum weight for the sale, about 200 grammes.
The company will be making an initial investment of EUR50 million (US$72 million) to build the new farm. 120 people will be employed directly; 70 in Barbate and 50 in the port. It is believed that another 200 employees will be working indirectly.
According to Aguilera, this project "will position the province of Cádiz as a world leader in sustainable aquaculture," Diario de Cádiz said.
Soleaqua will have a production capacity of about 1,400 tonnes of sole annually and 15 million of alevins.
In the first step, the center of Barbate will be installed and it will produce about 1,000 tonnes of sole, with an estimated budget of EUR29.5 million (US$42.5 million). The alevin hatchery will then be built in Santa Maria Port, which will produce up to 400 tonnes of sole.
Today, aquaculture occupies over 85 square kilometres in Andalusia, along the 1,100 kilometres of coastline. This sector generates approximately EUR50 million (US$72 million) per year, EUR9 million (US$13 million) in Cadiz, and gathers 112 marine aquaculture companies that directly employ nearly 700 people.
