Opportunities for the development of seaweed farming as a supplementary income for small-scale fishermen in Nador lagoon: Experimental cultivations of Gracilaria gracilis (Stackhouse)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Aquaculture Department, INRH, Morocco

2 Stecof Co., Kenitra

3 Agence Nationale de Développement de l’Aquaculture (ANDA) , Rabat, Morocco

4 Dep., of Sciences Faculty of Polydisciplinaire, Larache, Morocco

5 Centre Régional de Nador, INRH, Nador, Morocco

Abstract

The feasibility of growing red seaweed, Gracilaria gracilis (Gigartinales, Rhodophyta) in off-bottom and floating longline systems was investigated in Bouareg location. The weight gains of G. gracilis in off-bottom cultures tested in winter, were low. The lowest daily growth rate (DGR) was recorded in sheet-lines (1.91 % day-1, p < 0.01) while the highest’s RGR were observed in net-lines and ropes-lines (2.72 and 2.77 % day-1 respectively, p < 0.01). Plants of G. gracilis grew well in the floating longline culture tested at spring. The weight growth rates ranged between 2.54 and 4.26 % day-1. The highest growth rate in Nador lagoon was observed in treatment stocked with 0.6 kg m-2. The high stocking density (0.8 kg m-2) leaded to low growth most probably due to stress on the seaweed when competing for space and resources. Over a 60-day cycle, the harvest of G. gracilis cultivated on floating longline system in Nador lagoon was estimated at about 101 t FWT ha-1 year-1. With 8:1 as wet to dry ratio, the production yield per cropping was estimated at 3,156 kg (DW) per ha. However, the total sales per year was estimated at about $ 6,564 per ha.

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