Title: Integrated aquaculture - an old concept with new applications in Greece

Authors: Ioannis N. Vatsos; Panagiotis Angelidis; Alexandros Theodoridis; Christos Batzios

Addresses: Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, University of Nordland, Post Office Box 1490, 8049 Bodø, Norway ' Laboratory of Ichthyology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, P.O. Box 395, Thessaloniki 54124, Greece ' Laboratory of Animal Production Economics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, P.O. Box 410, Thessaloniki 54124, Greece ' Laboratory of Animal Production Economics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, P.O. Box 410, Thessaloniki 54124, Greece

Abstract: In Greece, up until now, monoculture has been the prevailing fish and shellfish farming system. However, in the last few years, the farmers seek to develop alternative production patterns that could improve the economic performance of their farms through the optimal utilisation of the available resources. The concept of integrated aquaculture is old; however during the last 30 years many authors have suggested various production systems, in which different species are cultured together, in order to reduce the environmental impacts of aquaculture and/or to reduce the feeding cost. In particular, people have attempted to integrate mussel and micro- or macro- algae culture into open-sea or land-based fish farming. When certain criteria are met, such integrated systems could improve the sustainability of the farms, mainly through the reduction of the waste treatment cost and the use of the mussels or the algae in the diet of the farmed fish.

Keywords: integrated aquaculture; fish farming; mussels; algae; Greece; sustainability; sustainable development; waste treatment costs; fish food.

DOI: 10.1504/IJDATS.2015.068746

International Journal of Data Analysis Techniques and Strategies, 2015 Vol.7 No.2, pp.129 - 140

Published online: 12 Apr 2015 *

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