The company Sea8 will create an aquaculture center for the breeding of sole in the Port of El Musel, Gijón. It will involve an investment of 73 million euros and, when fully mature, will create 145 jobs.
The project by Sea8, which belongs to the Atitlán Group, is part of the Asturias Investment Attraction Strategy, led by the Regional Ministry of Industry, Employment and Economic Promotion through the Economic Development Agency of the Principality of Asturias (IDEPA). This means that all administrative deadlines will be accelerated to the maximum.
The first phase of the Sea8 project consists of the creation of a first fattening module with a capacity to produce 440 tonnes per year. The investment foreseen for this will be 12.3 million euros and the creation of 24 jobs is envisaged.
In successive phases, the company plans to develop up to six fattening modules and a reproduction unit, which will mean a total production capacity of 2,600 tonnes of sole per year. In this way, the company foresees the development of a total joint investment of around 73 million euros over the next six years and the recruitment of 145 new jobs.
The Port of El Musel, with a fishing and aquaculture tradition
The project will be implemented under an administrative concession on the land of the Port of El Musel, in the area known as La Figal, which has a surface area of 10,000 square meters. The port is a place with a fishing and aquaculture tradition, which is an additional advantage.
With two plants in Portugal and one in Galicia, Sea8 is a leading company in the field of sustainable sole aquaculture. It is a supplier to the leading distributors in Spain and Portugal, supplying top-quality sole to both the traditional and large-scale distribution channels. Sea8’s current client portfolio includes Mercadona, Pingo Doce, and Makro, as well as a well-established presence in traditional distribution through wholesalers in MercaMadrid, MercaBarna, and MARL (Lisbon).
The initiative to be launched in Asturias is important not only because of the investment and employment it will generate, but also because of the sustainability, environmental protection, and cutting-edge technology used by Sea8.
Fourth business initiative in the strategy to attract investment to Asturias.
The aquaculture center for sole farming in Gijón is the fourth business initiative confirmed in recent months within the framework of the Asturias Government’s Investment Attraction Strategy. Together, the four will generate 150 million in investment and create some 240 jobs in the coming years.
It is also a key project that opens the doors to a whole value chain that, on this scale, did not exist in Asturias. It should not be forgotten that the agri-food sector accounts for 20 % of Asturias’ GDP and this project will help to strengthen it.