NEWS
IHCantabria’s ACUFLOT project was chosen as an exemplary project within the framework of the Pleamar Program.
This distinction was received by projects such as ACUFLOT -and its predecessors ATLAS AND ATLAS PRO-, from a group of more than 200 projects benefited in the five calls published in the years 2017-2021, which have counted with the co-financing of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (FEMP, for its acronym in Spanish).
The Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO, for its acronym in Spanish) held the ninth day of knowledge transfer and exchange of the Pleamar Program on May 11. The objective of this meeting was to reflect on and discuss the characteristics that projects should have, in addition to reporting the results of 14 initiatives co-financed by the FEMP that were chosen as “exemplary projects”, within the framework of the Pleamar Program (2017-2021).
Among these initiatives, within the axis of innovation in the fishing and aquaculture sector, the IHCantabria project called ACUFLOT, “Interactions between offshore AQUACULTURE and FLOATING wind energy: challenges and opportunities towards the ‘ecological transition’ of the Spanish maritime space” was highlighted. As stated in the “Pleamar Program results transfer day (exemplary projects)” of the group of more than 200 projects co-financed by the FEMP during the period 2017-2021, ACUFLOT and 13 other projects were chosen for their active collaboration with the sector, for their correct justification and execution – both technical and budgetary – and for having made an outstanding and impactful communication.
The objective of the ACUFLOT project, and its predecessors ATLAS and ATLAS PRO, was to evaluate the opportunities offered by Spanish waters for the combined use and development of joint aquaculture and floating wind energy farms. Each of these three projects, whose subject matter is related, obtained co-financing in competitive calls from the Fundación Biodiversidad for the promotion and encouragement of sustainable fishing and aquaculture, within the framework of the Pleamar Program, which is co-financed by the FEMP.
The purpose of the ACUFLOT project is to provide both managers and the aquaculture sector with knowledge and tools applicable to the development of Maritime Spatial Management Plans. These plans were raised by Royal Decree 363/2017. The ACUFLOT project was developed under the direction of IHCantabria researcher José A. Juanes de la Peña.
Predecessors of the ACUFLOT project were ATLAS and ATLAS PRO (funded by the Pleamar 2017 and 2018 call), whose implementation allowed the development of tools and applications of interest to administrations and the aquaculture sector, because it recognizes the opportunities for the cultivation of commercial species offered by the Spanish coasts.
The Pleamar Program of Fundación Biodiversidad seeks to support the fishing and aquaculture sector in its commitment to sustainability, protection and conservation of biodiversity and natural heritage.
The Institute of Environmental Hydraulics of the University of Cantabria (IHCantabria) is a joint research institute focused on the integrated management of socio-ecological systems associated with water. Founded in 2007, its mission is to promote scientific excellence and its transfer to drive innovation that contributes to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the promotion of a just, inclusive, responsible and resilient society.
