Is land-based sea bream production a feasible activity on the northwest mediterranean coast?. Analysis of production costs

Abstract

Land-based production of sea bream (S. aurata) isone of the alternative types of aquaculture for different areas of theMediterranean coast, but its future development will mainly depend both on thecapacity to make this technology compatible with other uses of the land and thecapacity to make it cost-effective, especially in comparison with production incages. The present work analyzes all costs related to sea bream production inland-based facilities. With this aim in mind, a “standard facility”,growing 200 t per year of fish from 10 to 400 g, isdefined. It is assumed that there will be a collective utilization by some farmsof the infrastructure for intake, transport and outfall of water as well as theeffluent treatment system. The work is developed for a specific area, The EbroDelta in Spain, but intends to be a wide approach to the subject and to offergeneral conclusions. The average total production cost obtained, around four anda half euro per kg, allows us to consider that this type of technologyis feasible under the conditions considered. The different items that couldaffect this cost are also discussed. Feed and juveniles represent respectively30% and 25% of average total cost. Those costs differentiating betweenland-based and cage technology, i.e. oxygen and power, amount to only 6.3% ofthe average total cost.