(continued)

The world-wide growth of aquaculture is closely linked with the dramatic decline in wild fish stocks all over the world. Until the end of the 1980s the market supply of fish in the Mediterranean came mainly from coastal fisheries and traditional lagoon aquaculture. Both the European Union (FEOGA) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations have supported experimental research to develop Mediterranean aquaculture following the Japanese model, and also to trout and salmon farming based on the north European experience. At present, there are around 450 finfish mariculture production units, of which 45% are based in Greece.