The subdelegate of the Government, María Rivas, visited today in the port of A Coruña the oceanographic vessel Emma Bardán, the smallest of the three fishing and oceanic research vessels of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food that is currently developing in Galicia the campaign “BATI-UF25-0724” consisting of mapping in detail the area located south of the Canyon of A Coruña, specifically between the towns of Laxe and Ferrol.
The work of the mapping of the funds will be the basis for the evaluation by the Spanish Institute of Oceanography to advance the knowledge of the area and the distribution of the cicada. This campaign through the evaluation of the funds where the burrows can be found and will therefore facilitate that second stage in which already through a system of cameras can be thoroughly investigated the populations of Cigalas.
The subdelegate reported that this action also complements the one developed at the time by the ship Vizconde de Eza, covering the shallow areas, mapping the funds between 8-9 meters to approximately 200. The Emma Bardán will develop this campaign in Galicia in a total of 38 days of exploration.
This study will serve as a basis for planning future scientific data collection campaigns essential to guide decision-making in the management of this species. The data acquired in this campaign can be included in the Espacio Project and therefore be funded by the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund
The vessel of 29 meters in length and 7.5 meters in length consists of the most moderate technological equipment for navigation, as well as a sophisticated scientific and laboratory equipment. In fact, the probe that allows these mapping works was replaced by a more modern one, financed from the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Funds, which has allowed to gain a lot of quality in the data obtained, which results in a better resolution in the works that derive from this phase of exploration of the seabed.
The subdelegate indicated that the Emma Bardán is a vessel with high performance for this mapping work but that it also participates in the fishing research campaigns such as JUVENA carried out in the Bay of Vizcaia with the objective of evaluating the abundance and biological state of juvenile anchovy; and the BIOMAN campaign consisting of a continuous recording with acoustic methods to estimate the abundance of anchovy and sardine.
The subdelegate said that with the work carried out through the fishing and oceanographic research vessels of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Government demonstrates its commitment to the sustainable management of fisheries and seafood resources.
The Emma Bardán works under the motto “Know for sustainable fisheries management”, to expand knowledge of the seas, a campaign that includes more than 500 research days, both nationally and internationally.
The subdelegate wanted to thank the ship’s staff and the researchers at the source of this campaign for their work. The visit was also accompanied by the Director of the Arena of Agriculture and Fisheries of the Government Delegation, Ana Tubío. María Rivas indicated that “the gratitude is double because, as you know, today is the day of Carmen, the patron saint of all people who work at sea and therefore a day of celebration for the whole sector. So I take this opportunity to congratulate you on such a special day”