Short Communication: Recent Outcomes of the Shellfish Aquaculture Demonstrative Center (S-ADC)

Abstract

Since 2017, the Shellfish Aquaculture Demonstrative Center (S-ADC), established under the coordination of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) within NIMRD “Grigore Antipa”, has been acting as a regional hub able to respond to Black Sea countries’ needs and expectations for aquaculture development, raising awareness at every level on the shellfish aquaculture potential. So far, three training courses have been performed in the frame of the S-ADC, in 2018, 2019 and 2020. During 13-16 April 2020, due to the COVID-19 confinement, the Shellfish Aquaculture Demonstrative Center team in Constanta launched the "ADC-Online: Free online courses on techniques and technologies in aquaculture". More than 1,500 persons participated in the first training by ADC Online, according to GFCM statistics. Another major outcome of the S-ADC was the settlement of legislative drawbacks that prevented both the cultivation and the harvesting of bivalves from the natural environment in Romania, namely the microbiological classification of the Black Sea waters, as required by Regulation (EC) no. 627/2019. NIMRD elaborated, thus, within S- ADC, "The documentary, shoreline and hydrodynamics survey in order to establish and microbiologically classify the areas of production and relaying of live bivalve mollusks in the Romanian Black Sea sector as per Regulation (EC) no. 627/2019", which was made available to the National Sanitary-Veterinary and Food Safety Authority, to effectively start the sampling procedures and carry out the microbiological classification. NIMRD, through the S- ADC, performs sustained efforts to solve another issue hindering the development of aquaculture in Romania, namely the lack of an adequate legislative framework, which will allow the concession of the water (Black Sea surface), in order to locate the aquaculture facilities.