The original chanquete (Aphia minuta and similar species) suffered severe overexploitation for decades.
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Two Spanish startups have set up operations in the new business hub in Soria, in the north-central part of the country, to contribute to the area's economic development and to promote aquaculture and fisheries responsible production.
After more than a decade of research, Acuisalinas S.L. is dedicated to farming and producing chanquete (Gobius), a high-quality product in strong demand by the foodservice sector, which outperforms traditional chanquete in texture, firmness, and shelf life.
This Galician company will occupy 1,000 m², where it will install six production lines, including a breeding area, laboratory, and packaging and storage facilities. Its projected initial turnover is €1.67 million per year.
Meanwhile, Hydrobiological, S.R.L. will build a Research, Development and Innovation (R&D&I) Center to continue developing its minimum viable product, which enables the captive breeding of a natural substitute for glass eel (angula), a species classified as critically endangered.
Hydrobiological's production process is based on closed-loop systems with continuous water recirculation and purification. For this reason, it will set up a broodstock bank through a phenotypic selection process and will begin its production phase at the Valcorba Business Incubator as part of its scalability program.
The Valcorba incubator units, which will host these projects, are owned by the Soria City Council and managed by the Soria Chamber of Commerce, within the framework of the Impulso Emprende project.
