Evolution Through Innovation in Aquaculture: A Critical Review of the Greek Mariculture Industry

Marine aquaculture in Greece is a relatively new industry based on the culture of aquatic species such as the Mediterranean sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata), and Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis). In the early 1980s, the results of research and development were applied to develop pilot semiacademic commercial farms. Such farms were gradually moved to the industrial scale of today, producing some 80,00–120,000 tons of finfish and up to 25,000–35,000 tons of mussels annually. The problems encountered during the adaptation of innovation to the production and management of this blue revolution is critically discussed from the early developmental phases up to the present.