Risk Assessment of the Mediterranean Seabass and Seabream industry in Greece: A Stochastic Simulation Approach Based on insurance Claims

The Mediterranean finfish aquaculture is strongly represented from the successful industrial development of the mass production of the Mediterranean seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and seabream (Spaurus aurata), with Greece as the major producer country, contributing with approximately 57% of the global farmed production of both species. Despite the difficulty to obtain information from the private and public sector about the aquaculture insurance claims, the analysis of insurance data is necessary to develop a risk management strategy of the industry. The aim of the present work is to identify the major risks affecting the seabass/seabream aquaculture by examining qualitative and quantitative insurance claims from the early developmental stage (mid-80s) up to the maturation of the Greek sector (2000). A risk assessment based on scenario quantification and Monte Carlo Simulation with the ZHA WORKS 4.2 QUANT software is used to reveal percentile statistics of 1 Year/Worst out of x Years aggregate loss and thus to "harden" the basis for decision taking. The use of the past insurance experience provides forecasting trends for risk avoidance in the future and contributes to a strategy development for the sustainability of the sector.Keywords: Aquaculture, Aquaculture and Risk, Fisheries EconomicsKeywords: Aquaculture, Aquaculture and Risk, Fisheries Economic

A framework for risk analysis of the shellfish aquaculture: The case of the Mediterranean mussel farming in Greece

Mediterranean mussel farming in Greece developed considerably during the last 40 years reaching a gross commodity product up to the limits of the country's production capacity (35–40,000 tonnes/year). Despite the achievements in the sector's growth, little or no effort has been attributed yet to risk assessment and moreover to risk management of the activity. The present effort aims at developing a working framework for the shellfish aquaculture of Greece to be used as a tool by the sector's decision makers to advance strategies for risk elimination or avoidance. The work was based on a generic risk management standard tool, the Joint Australian and New Zealand Risk Management Standard AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009 that has been adapted to the specific national characteristics of all levels of the mussel farming business -activities and the industry function. The framework supported by data sets regarding development, production, profits and losses, retrieved by surveys through distributed questionnaires or interviews during site-visits, as well as by collecting data from national and international authorities. Data input covered technology, farm size, farmer risk-attitude, risk-management strategies, risk-perceptions and socioeconomic profiles. Major risks and risk management options were identified providing aid for remediation risk policies to the stakeholders

The Recruitment of the Endangered Fan Mussel Pinna Nobilis (linnaeus, 1758) on the Ropes of a Mediterranean Mussel Long Line Farm

WOS:000360410500024The fan mussel Pinna nobilis (Linnaeus, 1758) is an endangered bivalve species and is endemic to the Mediterranean Sea. Juvenile animals have been found growing on mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lamarck, 1819) long line aquaculture bounces and ropes within the Maliakos Gulf (Aegean Sea). Animals were sampled from the harvested mussel lines. The results show twelve juvenile P. nobilis per ton of harvested M. galloprovincialis

Production and marketing trends of the cultured Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck 1819, in Greece

Bivalve production in Greece pertains to a vast extent of mussel farming and a few other species of fishery products. Mussel farming in Greece covers 375.5 ha primarily located in the northern part of the country. About 523 farms have been licensed since 1976, of which 218 are using the single long-line floating technique for a nominal production capacity of about 100 t/ha and a farming area of 1-2 ha on average. The total annual production (gross pergolari weight) increased to 36,000 t in 2008. Currently, there is a trend for further expansion by licensing new farming sites. Eighty percent of the farmed mussels are exported fresh and intact, primarily to Italy. One major problem seems to be the increasing number of harmful algal bloom incidents during the past decade. The future of the industry depends on the industrialization of production methods and the development of scale to suppress the production cost. Support of product branding and development of a quality scheme would further strengthen the sector

Production of <i>Arthrospira platensis</i>: Effects on Growth and Biochemical Composition of Long-Term Acclimatization at Different Salinities

Arthrospira platensis is an edible cyanobacterium with high nutritional value. Even though A. platensis is not a marine species, it can be adapted to higher salinities, a strategy that could allow mass cultivation using brackish or saline water. In this work A. platensis was long-term adapted at different salinities (5–60 g/L NaCl added as natural sea salt) to evaluate the growth and biochemical composition of the biomass produced. Biomass production was enhanced in salinity up to 40 g/L NaCl, while at 60 g/L NaCl biomass production slightly decreased. However, it displayed higher values compared to the conventional Zarrouk growth medium. By increasing the salinity, carbohydrate content increases, while proteins, phycocyanin, carotenoids, and total phenolics decreased. Biomass content in lipids, and chlorophyll along with the antioxidant capacity of extracts, was not significantly affected. A. platensis tended to increase the unsaturated fatty acids, while amino acid composition was not significantly affected by the increased salinity. However, in vitro protein digestibility was negatively affected when salinity was above 20 g/L NaCl. It was macroscopically observed that trichomes were longer at higher salinities, and especially at 40 g/L NaCl. The results suggest that A. platensis when acclimated in long-term can be grown successfully at various salinities

Risk factors affecting the profitability of the Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck 1819) farming in Greece

Public support of mussel farming in Greece is an important factor because of its financial viability. The profitability of the activity is seriously reduced in small farms (1-3 ha) as a result of their high production costs; however, small farms represent a major part of the industry. Mussel farming is an extensive activity, with space availability regulated by public administrators via licensing of marine cultivation area property rights. The available space, though, is limited and, consequently, impedes any future expansion, restricting the production capacity of small farms. Nevertheless, the cost of new establishments and the modernization of existing ones (suitable boats, grading equipment, and so on) is affordable only by the larger companies. For small farms, it seems harder to recruit the large labor teams needed to work on a seasonal basis because this is the optimum to effect least operational costs, as shown by sensitivity analyses. In conclusion, for financial sustainability this sector needs to be restructured and organized into larger schemes, such as with producer organizations or cooperatives, to achieve economies of scale

Carbon Nanodots Synthesized from Dunaliella salina as Sun Protection Filters

Carbon nanodots (CNDs) are more and more being exploited for various applications including biological ones. To this end, they have been thoroughly studied for their potential as antibacterial, wound healing, and bioimaging agents. In this study, we examined the sun protection properties of CNDs. Dunaliella salina was selected as a promising precursor for the synthesis of CNDs which were compared with those produced by citric acid, a widely used precursor for such materials. The CNDs were examined spectrophotometrically, and the sun protection factors were calculated. Additionally, in vitro experiments were carried out to evaluate their UV protection properties and to obtain better insight into whether CNDs are suitable to be used as filters for the development of new sunscreens. The results were conclusive that both CNDs possess favorable properties that potentiate their use for the development of sunscreens. However, the CNDs from Dunaliella salina were found to be superior to those derived from citric acid. Therefore, they can further be exploited as sun protection filters

Carotenogenic Activity of Two Hypersaline Greek <i>Dunaliella salina</i> Strains under Nitrogen Deprivation and Salinity Stress

The culture growth and carotenogenic activity of two Greek Dunaliella salina strains (AthU-Al D30 and AthU-Al D31) under stress conditions are investigated herein, with emphasis on β-carotene production as well as on lutein and zeaxanthin. In particular, the strains were cultivated in “standard” conditions (60 ‰ salinity and 1.18 M of NaNO3), under salinity stress conditions (160 ‰ salinity and 1.18 M of NaNO3) and under nitrogen deprivation conditions (60 ‰ salinity and 0 M of NaNO3). In addition to the two Greek strains, the D. salina CCAP 19/18 strain, which has been extensively studied regarding carotenogenesis, is included in this study as a reference. All three strains were found to produce increased amounts of β-carotene when cultivated under nitrogen deprivation conditions, while the AthU-Al D31 strain also produced high amounts of carotenoids under salt stress. The HPLC carotenoid profiles of the strains revealed reduced production of lutein in nitrogen deprivation conditions, coupled with a high production of β-carotene. The strains exhibited various responses in terms of carotenogenic activity, indicating an intraspecific variation in the metabolic reactions related to carotenogenesis