Porto-Muiños, a family-run aquaculture business with over 25 years of experience in Galicia, has launched a state-of-the-art facility for breeding sea urchin, supported by the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF). This initiative aims to repopulate local waters with sea urchins, using algae-based products, which are plentiful in the region.
The Galician coast, where the Cantabrian and Atlantic sea merge, has witnessed a significant decline in sea urchin populations (Paracentrotus lividus), primarily due to oil spills contaminating their habitats. This downturn has severely impacted local fishing communities and jeopardized the ecosystem’s recovery.
In response, Rosa Mirás and Antonio Muiños, the couple behind Porto-Muiños, took action. “We want to help the maritime communities contribute to ecosystem recovery, and the fishing guilds need sea urchin production to increase,” explains Antonio. With funding from EMFAF, they developed the Alfagrés facility, where they nurture sea urching seedings for later release into local waters.
Since its establishment in 1998, Porto Muiños has been committed to harnessing the marine resources of Galicia, processing and marketing products such as marine algae, sea urchin roe, monkfish liver, and sea anemones. As the company grew, so too did its dedication to sustainability and marine conservation.
As highlighted by the European Commission, the new facility not only cultivates sea urchins but also uses the algae produced by the company to feed these animals throughout their lifecycle, thereby minimizing waste and maximising resource utilisation. This co-productive process reduces environmental impact and substantially contributes to the urchins’ recovery.
In collaboration with local marine scientists and the guilds, the Muiños Mirás family coordinates the restocking of adult urchins form the Alfagés facility to vulnerable fishing zones. The guilds serve as crucial observers at sea, keeping the family informed about the fishery’s status and where intervention is needed.
The project’s success has garnered international attention, with visitors from around the world keen to replicate this system for the recovery and development of sea urchin populations in their respective countries. Antonio underscores the importance of reciprocating the support received: “We want to somehow give back the support that the EU has provided us through project funding by means of all the research and innovation work and the contribution we can now make to the guilds.”
This sustainable approach promises not only to restore sea urchin populations in Galicia but also to serve as a replicable model for the management and recovery of marine resources globally.
Related
Latest In-depth
-
Red blood cells emerge as a new vaccine platform in aquaculture
Elche, Spain, 18 May 2026 | Research led by UMH places Spain among the world’s leading groups in the immunological use of fish erythrocytes
EVENTS
-
21AprTue, 21 Apr - Fri, 24 AprGran Via - Fira Barcelona - Barcelona