VAD - Technology. Advantages and Benefits of the Aquaculture Center

• Technology

The VAD® Aquaculture Center, is a pioneering fish farm in Spain by the diversity of species it can develop and the SRS® technology chosen as a production system, along with the water recirculation aquaculture system, RAS System. This influences aquaculture traditional Spanish continental with many Advantages and Benefits.

The main advantages of the VAD® Aquaculture Center are to be compared in the following tables.

Advantages in relation to the Environment :

-   Less soil occupancy per kilogram of fish produced.
-    Shorten the productive cycle of fattening of the different species.
-    Less water consumption for the same amount of production.
-    Less feeding expense for the same growth.
-    Greater versatility in its location.
-    Optimal wellbeing for fish.
-    Better relationship between breeders and fish.
-    Better working conditions for workers.
-    Increased sanitary control of the production process.
-    Less environmental impact.
-    Increased productivity and exploitation increasing competitiveness.
-    Modular installation easily adaptable to the medium.
-    Incorporation of new fish species of commercial interest.
-    Diversify the products it offers to the market.

-    80% Less surface built in use.
-    Drastic reduction of solids in water suspension.
-    Drastic reduction of the emission of nutrients to the environment.
-    Reduction of waste with a more efficient use of the food resource.
-    Greater control in the waste treatment system.
-    Use of water recirculating systems reducing water consumption.
-    Control and improvement of the physical-chemical parameters of the water.
-    Automation of facilities optimizing resources.
-    Reduction of water and energy resources.
-    Optimization of sanitary and environmental parameters.
-    Adaptation of the system to the characteristics and well-being of each species.
-    Functional constructive designs adaptable to the environment.
-    Use of constructive materials that minimize environmental impact.
-    Creation of R+D+I centers, promoting progress and development of the system.

Benefits and Influences

We will define the benefits of the VAD® Aquaculture Center according to influences on several benefiting sectors.

Benefits and Influences on the Aquaculture Production Sector :

This new system of intensive cultivation allows the fattening of fish, regardless of their area of origin, away from the usual areas of cultivation. This scheme in the fish production system allows the jump of the traditional fish farm located always next to a river or littoral, occupying an extensive area of land, to an industrial technological building with a greater isolation and control of all parameters environmental and sanitary in aquaculture production.

The use of water recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) reduces water needs by allowing any irrigation well or water channel to be effective. With this production system, we can implant aquaculture fish farms in any location, devoid of coastline or river, where there is minimal access to a well of water and electricity. This patented technology is being applied in various aquaculture species outside Spain with great success, this ability makes it the essential technological base for the new development of continental aquaculture in Spain.

Benefits and Influences on the Producers of Basic Raw Materials :

The increase in production capacity of the "VAD"® Aquaculture Center will increase the needs of raw materials that this new production will need for its development. That is, it would drag more activity from the ancillary supplier industries, fingerlings, feed, aquaculture products and materials such as storage drawers, handling, transport companies, aquaculture laboratory material, analysis, machinery, spare parts, hardware, software etc.

These needs will be increased proportionately as new investments are developed around the production technology applied to various species.

Benefits and Influences on Job Creation and the Quality of Worker Conditions :

For the normal development of the plant's activity, it is envisaged the Direct Hiring of eleven fixed persons and temporary contract staff :

- Technical Management : 1 full-time qualified permanent person responsible for production and installations.
- Commercial Management : 1 Permanent person qualified full time responsible for commercial policy, marketing, sales and relations.
- Administrative management and management : 1 Permanent person qualified full time responsible for accounting and relationship with auxiliary companies .
- Supervisory Technicians : 2 qualified full-time personnel with aquaculture experience responsible for the fattening production area.
- Workers and laborers : 2 qualified full-time personnel with experience in machinery and management of pumps, automats, etc. responsible for the maintenance area.
- Guards : 2 persons fixed in two shifts of 12 h each one responsible for the security and vigilance of the center.
- Drivers and messenger : 2 people, full time fixed .
- Maintenance and cleaning : 1 fixed person, independent service subcontracted to auxiliary companies.
- Collection and preparation of production, transport, storage : All are independent subcontracting services to ancillary companies.
- Scholarship staff : from agreements with other centres and universities, in an indeterminate number.

Of the total of the future fixed staff contracted, there will be parity between women and men. The increase in production capacity will generate new jobs at auxiliary companies supplying the VAD® Aquaculture Center.

The benefit of the new production system, with respect to traditional fish farms, is the increase in the quality of the worker's conditions. This improvement occurs in several respects :

- The worker develops his activity inside an air-conditioned nave, without having to suffer the rigors of the time working in the outside like the traditional fish farms.
- Automation of most processes, avoiding the burden of weights and physical efforts forced in the traditional activity abroad such as food, classification, manipulation, etc.
- The contact with the water is much smaller, since it is not necessary to enter in the tanks to develop many of the activities.

All these benefits open the range of possibilities hiring of personnel, since until now, the physical requirements needed to develop the activity in a conventional farm were very high, limiting the hiring basically to physically trained male personnel.