The Hellenic Approach to Coastal Aquaculture Development

Marine aquaculture constitutes an important sector of primary productivity in Greece. Aquaculture industry has significantly contributed to the national economy and has combated unemployment especially in remote areas. During the last decade, marine aquaculture has proven to be one of the fastest developing activities of the Greek primary sector (holding the first position amongst the European countries in intensive marine aquaculture production) by utilizing the favorable conditions of the Hellenic seas as well as by the structural policies of the European Union offering financial assistance. Nevertheless marine aquaculture production has displayed signs of stability during recent years mainly due to lack of availability of suitable installation areas in the coastal zone, secondary due to capacity adjustments owing to environmental and other issues and thirdly due to difficulty of increasing primary material production in order to increase productivity (a major example is small pelagic fish used for fishmeal production, a major constituent of fish feed for intensive aquaculture). E.U. strategy for sustainable aquaculture was validated by the common fisheries policy (CFP) in 2002 aiming in aquaculture development. CFP applied a precautionary approach taking measures aiming to protect and preserve the living aquatic resources through sustainable exploitation. CFP covers activities of preservation, management and exploitation of living aquatic resources, aquaculture, manufacture and selling of fisheries and aquaculture products in the framework of sustainable development while balancing the environmental, economic and social extensions. Since adopting the CFP then there has been a significant advancement in ensuring environmental sustainability, safety and quality of the aquaculture products in the E.U. At present there are no international and European quantitative aims for aquaculture development. The main aims of aquaculture have been the replenishment of the negative balance that the fishing industry creates due to excessive demand and the support of the socioeconomic network in remote impoverished areas through the development of alternative ways other than fishing of marine ecosystem exploitation. In order to further develop the aquaculture industry in Greece a number of measures need to be established. These measures include: a) resettlement of current intensive floating cage aquaculture farms ensuring environmental protection, high productivity, financial prosperity and minimal conflicts with other coastal activities. b) Establishment of new and expansion of current aquaculture farms aiming to cultivate new high demand species, species characterized by rapid growth and biological and ecological products. c) Modernization of current aquaculture farms with emphasis in product quality improvement, health and safety, management improvement and use of new technologies for environmental monitoring and protection from predators. d) Extensive use of green energy for the aquaculture farms. e) Incentives for aquaculture development in remote impoverished areas and modernization of the legal framework regarding permit and establishment of an aquaculture farm. In any case the success of aquaculture development in Greece as well as the minimization of its effects on the environment will highly depend on the management plan that will be adopted for every organized area of aquaculture development.