BY UE STUDIO

Updated Friday,15September2023-11:59

  • Share on facebook
  • Share on twitter
  • Send by email

If we talk about the sea, we Spaniards are clear about two things: that if you are a child you have to wait two hours to bathe after eating and that if you are a marine biologist you have to wear a red wool hat.

The first is due to mothers, popularizers in their own way; the second, to another popularizer, the world's best-known explorer of seas and oceans: Jacques Cousteau.

And it is that more than 115 television documentaries and films give to earn international fame, is what has committed a lifetime to teach everyone how it is and how to relate to the aquatic universe or, as he called it, "the blue continent".

Perhaps one of his greatest teachings – beyond discovering species and places – is that taking care of the seas, oceans and rivers is taking care of ourselves. Because respecting the natural environment and living with it so as not to stress it is the greatest guarantee of the future for all species – yes, including ourselves – and ecosystems.

Growing in water

This dream of equilibrium was already verbalized in 1973 by Jacques Cousteau himself: "We have to stop being hunters at sea to be farmers and farmers. Because that's what civilization is."

It is, even today, the best definition of aquaculture. More technically, aquaculture is the farming of fish and algae through techniques that seek to make more efficient use of natural resources. It is much more than a complement to extractive fishing, it is your best ally to guarantee the supply of fish globally and, between them, to take care of the ecosystem and its species. In fact, aquaculture already provides more fish to the world than extractive fisheries (57.3%), growing at a sustained rate of 3.5% per year.

A couple of fish farmers in Muxía, province of La Coruña.

That aquaculture is an increasingly protagonist actor is recognized by international organizations of the importance of FAO, the United Nations agency for Food and Agriculture, which considers aquaculture as "essential" so that, in the future, everyone can eat quality fish at an affordable price (in addition to highlighting its sustainable model).

Fisheries and aquaculture do not compete, but coexist and mutually benefit from each other's existence. Because without one, the other would not be able to satisfy the entire demand for fish of the population. Without going any further, in Spain fish accounts for 18% of the animal protein consumed. Could fisheries or aquaculture alone be able to meet that need? The answer is short and clear: no; The coexistence of both activities is essential to ensure consumption. The benefit, in addition, is twofold: human, guaranteeing our food and offering employment, and environmental, taking care of natural ecosystems and respecting the balance in species populations.

From Cousteau to Cousteau

The dream that the marine biologist had in the twentieth century – to be farmers and farmers at sea – is accentuated in the reality of the XXI by another Cousteau, his granddaughter Céline, head of the non-profit production company Cause Centric Productions, when she affirms that "the health of the oceans is the health of the whole Earth".

Sustainable aquaculture guarantees this health while revitalizing rural areas and areas far from urban centers and, in our country, contributes to creating Marca España since Acuicultura de España is a recognized actor in the sector at European and global level thanks to its initiatives in innovation and sustainability.

Inland aquaculture facility in Yesa, Navarra.

The Spanish aquaculture sector champions the blue economy, which is a green economy tinged with the color of seas and rivers. An economy that sees aquatic spaces as an engine of innovation and growth based on profitable development, yes, but sustainable at the same time. And without losing quality or flavor; a statement that may seem topical but becomes true at the table: farmed fish is served in Michelin-starred restaurants across Europe.

If Jacques Cousteau taught us to be interested in the sea, aquaculture teaches us how to make it – and rivers – a sustainable and respectful source of food. And the best, without having to put on a red wool hat or learn to speak French.

Made by ue studio

This text has been developed by ue studio, creative branded content and content marketing firm of unidad editorial, for AQUACULTURE OF SPAIN