INTRODUCTION
Project Keyzones is a 2 year project to investigate sustainable biological carrying capacities of key European coastal zones’.
The
project aims to help increase the quality commercial production
of bivalve shellfish (oysters, scallops and mussels etc) whilst
reducing waste in terms of human, financial and natural resources.
This will have a positive impact on local production and harvest
of these shellfish in the targeted areas throughout Europe, improving
the quality and sustainability of the produce.
The models produced will also aid the planning and management
of fisheries and shellfish farms in many other coastal zones.
Involved are Universities, large international research organizations,
small local businesses, trade bodies representing many small businesses
and fishers. The project is funded through the framework 6 support
to Science and Technology operated by the European Union.
By working together we are successfully increasing local revenue
in the areas involved and helping the scope and credibility of
generic ecosystem models, which, in turn can build sustainability
- by helping to manage stocking of shellfish farms and harvesting
in fisheries. This action will also address disease issues, often
linked to stress in overstocked populations, which detrimentally
affect the quality of the industry and its produce.