Greece is accelerating investment in its aquaculture sector, approving 105 new projects worth €131 million ($151,9 million), while abandoned fish farms continue to raise environmental and maritime safety concerns.
Greek Rural Development and Food Minister Margaritis Schinas said Wednesday that the approved investment plans include €87 million ($100 million) in public funding. Speaking at the opening of the 14th session of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Aquaculture of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean, he outlined the government’s plan for a more competitive, sustainable and resilient aquaculture industry.
Greece targets growth in aquaculture
According to Schinas, the government increased the original budget allocation from €71 million ($82 million) to €78 million ($90 million) to support all aquaculture projects that received a positive evaluation. He described the package as one of the most important investment interventions in the sector in recent years.
The funding will help modernize production facilities, encourage innovation, support digital transformation and strengthen the global competitiveness of Greek aquaculture. The government aims to achieve average annual production growth of 5 percent through the end of the decade.
Schinas also linked the future of aquaculture to broader challenges facing Europe, including food security, climate change, sustainable development and the protection of natural resources. “The question facing the Mediterranean today is how to produce more and better food without exhausting the natural resources on which production itself depends,” he said, adding that the answer lies in cooperation, scientific research, innovation and a shared European and Mediterranean vision.
A major export industry for Greece
Aquaculture is already one of Greece’s most important export-oriented food sectors. Schinas said the country currently has around 285 marine fish farming units, more than 400 shellfish farming operations and 24 hatcheries.
Government estimates put annual production at nearly 141,000 metric tons, while the sector supports more than 10,000 direct and indirect jobs. About 80 percent of Greek aquaculture output is exported.
“Greek fish has evolved into a true ambassador for our country,” Schinas said.
Abandoned fish farms raise pollution concerns in Greece
The investment push comes as Greece is also dealing with the environmental legacy of abandoned aquaculture sites, sometimes described as “ghost farms.”
These sites are fish farms that operators have left behind, often with nets, cages and other infrastructure still in the sea. Over time, abandoned nets, plastics, tiles and timber can pollute nearby waters, harm marine life and create risks for shipping.
The issue gained renewed attention in February 2026, when a large fish-farming ring was spotted drifting in the Ionian Sea before ending up near Ithaca. The structure had entered a route used by passenger vessels, prompting the Coast Guard to intercept it over safety concerns.
Modi site removed after pressure
Abandoned aquaculture structures previously recorded near Modi in western Greece have since been removed by the operator and reportedly sent for recycling. Healthy Seas had identified the site years earlier through surveys conducted with Ghost Diving Greece and the Greek NGO OZON. The groups recorded four aquaculture rings there and considered them inactive.
After the drifting-ring incident near Ithaca, Healthy Seas examined a possible connection with the Modi site. The organization said the type of ring was unusual for the area, making the possible link difficult to ignore.
Following cooperation with authorities, media exposure and formal correspondence with competent bodies, the Coast Guard carried out a new inspection at Modi. Authorities later confirmed that the structures previously recorded there had been removed. The operator reportedly told the Coast Guard that the structures had been transferred to a recycling company.
The operator is said to have denied that the drifting ring came from its facility. Still, regardless of the ring’s origin, one more abandoned aquaculture site has now been cleared from Greek waters.
Abandoned Fish Farms Challenge Sustainable Aquaculture in Greece
For environmental groups, the case shows that abandoned aquaculture infrastructure is not only a marine pollution problem. It can also become a safety risk when structures break loose and drift into busy waters. Veronika Mikos, director of Healthy Seas, said the case points to a new way of dealing with abandoned fish-farming infrastructure.
“For years our work has focused mainly on the physical removal of abandoned aquaculture infrastructure from the sea,” Mikos said. “What makes this case important is that it points to another possible path: strategic engagement, institutional pressure and coordinated action that can encourage operators to assume responsibility themselves before these structures become even more serious environmental or maritime hazards.”
The challenge for Greece is now twofold: expanding a high-value export industry while ensuring that old or inactive facilities do not remain in the sea long after production has stopped.
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