Sea Cucumber Aquaculture
Photo: Pepe Brix
Sea Cucumber Aquaculture
Photo: Pepe Brix
About us
WANGUMAQUA SLU starts as a Mercedes Wangüemert’ personal project in 2022. This company is focusing its main activity on sea cucumber and macroalgae aquaculture, although some projects on integrated multitrophic aquaculture (IMTA) systems are also carried out.
The foundation of WANGUMAQUA SLU is the logic step followed by Dr. Wangüemert to consolidate her career, after 18 years of experience on Mediterranean and NE Atlantic sea cucumber aquaculture and fisheries.
WANGUMAQUA SLU has its main activity placed in Canary islands (NE Atlantic, Spain). However, WANGUMAQUA SLU is also developing projects in other locations including the South Spain (Cádiz), with co-culture of sea cucumber, green macroalgae and fish in estuaries and marshes (“esteros”), and pilot sea cucumber aquaculture projects in other countries from Mediterranean and Atlantic regions.
Photo: Pepe Brix
Products
Sea Cucumber Aquaculture
Global fish production reached about 179 million tonnes in 2018 according last data provided by FAO (https://www.fao.org/3/ca9229en/ca9229en.pdf), with a total first sale value estimated at USD 401 billion, of which 82 million tonnes, valued at USD 250 billion, came from aquaculture production. Aquaculture accounted for 46 % of the total production and 52% of fish for human consumption.
Sea cucumber is an important economical resource considering its high and increasing demand from Asian countries, where they are consumed as food but also, as source of essential micronutrients and bioactive molecules. In 2016, it was reached the maximum of sea cucumber aquaculture production (204.7 thousand tonnes), decreasing in 2018 (176.8 thousand tonnes) (https://www.fao.org/3/ca9229en/ca9229en.pdf).
The Apostichopus japonicus’ culture (sea cucumber commercial species) is one of the most profitable aquaculture systems in China. However, aquaculture of other target sea cucumber species has already been developed, including some species distributed in the NE Atlantic and Mediterranean such as Holothuria arguinensis, Holothuria mammata, Holothuria forskali and Holothuria sanctori or from Mediterranean Sea (Holothuria tubulosa and Holothuria polii).
Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA)
SEA CUCUMBER, GREEN MACROALGAE AND FISH CULTURE IN EXTENSIVE SYSTEMS (“ESTEROS”)
The farming in Cádiz Bay is based on extensive fish aquaculture. The fish production in these systems should be improved to increase its profitability through an adequate management, but also with investments for innovation focused on diversification of target species and development of polycultures and/or Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) systems.
FATTENING OF JUVENILES AND PRE-ADULTS OF SEA CUCUMBERS LINKED WITH FISH CAGES PRODUCTION
There are some concerns linked to intensive aquaculture such as production of nutrient-rich waste, that could cause eutrophication.
Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) promotes the re-use of waste by including different trophic groups and improving the sustainability of feeding.
