Nautilus is the only company in Italy which has created and manages a fish farm plantation for the biological breeding of sea bass, gilthead and white sea bream.
The plantation is certified by third party organisations, including the AIAB (Italian Association of Biological Agriculture) and the ICEA (Istituto per la Certificazione Etica e Ambientale), on the basis of a specific production protocol granted by the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry (Ministero delle Polititiche Agricole e Forestali) and at an international level by IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements).
Created in 2003, it is located in an area of the sea covering approximately 10 Ha, in a zone that lies offshore from the headquarters of Nautilus.
Fourteen floating cages of 16m in diameter delimit an area of approximate 30,000 m³ of open sea.
The method of breeding, which conforms to the directives set out by the laws for the correct management of fish farming and water culture established by FAO, respects the welfare of the fish and the general environment, and thus guarantees a natural product of the highest quality.
The plantation also provides technical support for the undertaking of research projects in specific sectors.
Amongst the research projects that have been undertaken are:
- Refining of the food diet for Sarago Pizzuto (Diplodus puntazzo)
The research project, which had a duration of 24 months, commenced in May 2004 and was undertaken in collaboration with the Co.R.S.A.M s.c.r.l consortium and the STAFA Department – Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Reggio Calabria;
- Multidisciplinary contribution to the study of the development of the water culture of Red Tuna (Thunnus Thynnus) through the control of the spinneret and the broadening of knowledge concerning the controlled reproduction of these species.
The project aims at testing the feeding of young specimens caught in the wild to verify the impact of the tuna on the water culture of the environment.
The program, which lasted 24 months, was conducted together with the Mediterranean Consortium (Consorzio Mediterraneo) and commenced in the spring of 2004.
