Sustainable aquaculture in the Mediterranean has been given a boost with the inauguration of the Mediterranean Marine Finfish Aquaculture Demonstration Centre (MMF-ADC) in Crete.
The launch included a five-day hands-on training programme involving researchers and officials from Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia.
Developed by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) of the FAO and the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), with support from the Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, the centre promises to be the most advanced of its kind in the region, offering training, research and the promotion of best practices.
“Thanks to decades of cutting-edge research and Greece’s leadership in marine fish production, we now want to transfer this knowledge to sustainably advance aquaculture across the region,” said Dr Constantinos Mylonas, director of the HCMR.
The MMF-ADC also partners with the EU Reference Centre for the Welfare of Aquatic Animals (EURCAW-Aqua), enhancing its focus on ethical, climate-smart aquaculture.
“EURCAW-Aqua aims to set a global gold standard in aquatic animal welfare and sustainability,” said Professor Michail Pavlidis, director and coordinator of EURCAW-Aqua.
Part of a wider GFCM network of regional Aquaculture Demonstration Centres, the MMF-ADC focuses on supporting small-scale producers, women and younger workers, aiming to foster inclusive growth in a sector already employing over 100,000 people and generating US$4.5 billion annually in the Mediterranean and Black Sea.
