Valliculture (Italy)

Italian ‘valliculture’ is a peculiar activity differing from the traditional lagoon management for many historical, juridical, administrative, technological and environmental aspects. It concerns the large lagoon systems of Northern Adriatic, created by the two largest Italian hydrographic basins (Po and Adige rivers) and others important Italian rivers, and covers a total surface of about 36,323 ha (26,615 as total water surface), split in 92 “ valli da pesca”, with surface area ranging from 10 to 10,000 ha.

Valliculture represents a unique ecological, landscape and cultural heritage and contribute to the conservation of the sensitive Upper Adriatic wet lands, under constant threat of negative impacts from the various anthropic activities. Valliculture accounts for 66% of the confined wet lands used for fish farming and 87% of the extensive production units in Italy, supplying about 70% of the aquaculture production from coastal lagoons.

The valli are traditionally extensive systems (only 11 has also semi-intensive and 3 intensive structures), with a productivity ranging between 30 kg/ha/year (Valli di Comacchio) and 150 kg/ha/year (Valli Venete). Euryhaline species, such as sea bass, sea bream mullets and eel are traditionally farmed; today, production trend of these species has been changed, and there has been a strong reduction in eel production in favour of sea bream and partly of sea bass.

Productivity of valliculture is today significantly reduced, mainly because the strong impact of ichthyophagous birds, especially on juvenile stages and the negative impact of anthropic activity on coastal environment. Production costs are higher compared to intensive marine systems and economic sustainability of valliculture is strongly depending on the improvement of production cycles and on product differentiation.

Publications

D59 Improved farming protocols for valliculture

D60 Morphological quality assessment of gilthead seabream from Valliculture

D65 Scientific/Technical publication on Valliculture