The Mediterranean grouper (mero in Spanish*) is a protected species, as we’ve eaten most of them, and so scientists receive EU money to try to breed the little buggers.
Trouble is, sometimes the programme doesn’t work, and what to do then with 20 massive fish weighing up to 24 kg each?
Eat them would be the obvious answer, but again, they’re protected. They’re also full of hormones and antibiotics, so they can’t just be dumped back into the sea, as they’re probably carrying diseases from the breeding tank that would kill their wild brethren.
So in this particular case, Roquetas Aquarium offered them a new home, and has installed a large new tank for the meros.
It seems they’re quite tame, as they’re used to seeing humans and being prodded by them, so they should make quite a good exhibition showing people what we eat.
Since there are so many of them, some of them will later be transported to the Aquarium of Seville when it has prepared a tank.
But you can still see them down at the excellent Aquarium in Roquetas del Mar.
*halibut is another translation.