The shellfish in the Ria de Arosa is in real danger due to overexploitation due clam cockle death and clockwork extraction ban for three years.
The industry is going through one of the most difficult situations in recent years are beginning to appear as clear signs of major economic resource scarcity can still exploit shellfish in different production areas of the clam.
The common cockle is extinguished both rail as I Lombos and other production areas, and in principle does not appear next recovery unless done right now reseeding with male specimens from other production areas. "We need to bring breeding males cockles recover again," says the biologist Xusto Otero.
The rail was in gradually disappeared almost a year ago. At first he was very weak because a parasite was affecting several organs but then appeared marteiliosis bacteria that continued to undermine the mollusk and finally there was no more appropriate weather conditions who provoked a flood of fresh water that would eliminate all the bacteria, summarizes the vilagarciano technician.
The almost total disappearance of this resource is added to the ban on removing the "clock" for two or three years due to its high content of lead.
At present, the river is overloaded with this bivalve less appreciated by the consumer but the extraction was complementary to the other species, allowing better management of resources.
The ban has caused the clockwork invasion of this species in the sea. "There is an excess of this bivalve in the estuary, but not yet remove it lifted the ban," said Otero.
The alert was recorded to check that this mollusk had a high rate of lead, which can result in health problems for consumers in the long run.
It was observed that this species contained indexes above 1.5 milligrams of lead, which exceeded the threshold permitted by the World Health Organization.
But the resource has other limitations, as the Regional Administration imposes size restrictions, so that can not be captured if they are below 30 mm.
Stand technicians it is a bivalve which has a large absorption capacity of the lead, but doing so will gradually so that the content of this element is less young unit. The problem is that the "relojitos" small and can not be removed, much less commercialized.
Yes they are likely to sell those exceeding 30 mm in length, but it is adult specimens have absorbed a lot more lead so mean consumption risks to humans.
For these causes, it seems remote that Spanish health authorities to lift the ban back of this species that until recently compensated biological rest of the other complementary productions.
The other problem Cockle hindered recovery must be sought in the weather this year. Indeed was a year of high rainfall but insufficient to cause massive freshwater inputs bacteria housecleaner sea.
"Just lowered salinity and this contributed to the death of some mollusks but was insufficient to cause absolute cleanliness in shellfish beds," said Otero Xusto.
It should be emphasized that the cockle is a species that usually breed with great ease during the same year, so it may even be a situation that after having gone back to emerge in huge amounts in the following season.
The problem is that this is already the second campaign without this resource, which is on alert to both the authorities and the industry itself.
What I found in lane is called cockle birollo, less appreciated by the consumer but begins to have claim to have disappeared common.
It should be emphasized that in the market of rail last month sold a total of 7,500 kilos of this species less noble and even reached fairly reasonable prices.
The habitat of this cockle are muddy areas, but having disappeared common begins to proliferate elsewhere, due to the colonization process has begun.
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