Greece’s aquaculture turns to automation as costs rise

Greek sea bream and sea bass producers are leaning harder on sensors, automation and data to stay competitive as costs rise, waters warm and expansion slows. The shift will be a focus at AquaFarm 2027 in Pordenone, where industry players will examine precision tools that could improve margins and cut environmental impact.

Why it matters: - Greece is one of the Mediterranean’s largest aquaculture producers, but higher costs, warmer seas and limited space for expansion are squeezing margins. - Precision tools such as sensors, automation and data analytics are becoming central to keeping sea bream and sea bass farms competitive. - The same technology shift can also reduce feed waste and lower pressure on surrounding waters.

What happened: - Greece’s aquaculture sector produced almost 141,000 tonnes in 2024, worth €789.7 million. - Sea bream and sea bass made up 114,500 tonnes and €721 million of that total. - Greece ranked third in the EU by production volume and first by value for those two species. - The sector includes 73 companies and groups, more than 280 farming sites and about 12,000 direct and indirect jobs. - Preliminary ELSTAT data show 2025 exports of sea bream and sea bass reached 97,400 tonnes and €672 million. - AquaFarm 2027 will take place in Pordenone, Italy, on 17-18 February 2027, with part of the programme focused on precision aquaculture.

The details: - Greek production fell 5.5% in 2024, and volumes were expected to stabilise in 2025. - Delays in spatial planning are limiting expansion. - Warming seas are increasing operational pressure. - Greek waters recorded their highest temperatures in 40 years in 2024. - Rising temperatures reduce dissolved oxygen, raise fish metabolism and increase exposure to pathogens. - Multiparameter sensors can track temperature, oxygen, salinity and turbidity continuously. - Operators can use that data to adjust feeding, postpone handling and respond faster to critical conditions. - The European UNITED project deployed underwater sensors, cameras and remotely operated vehicles at a sea bass and sea bream farm in Greece. - The deployment provided real-time information on fish behaviour and environmental impacts in an area where aquaculture and tourism coexist. - The European PerformFISH project used echo sounders at a farm to estimate fish density without physical contact. - AI-powered stereoscopic cameras can measure fish size, weight distribution and behaviour, reducing manual sampling. - The University of Thessaly developed Kalypso, a hybrid underwater vehicle tested at commercial farms in Kefalonia. - Kalypso is designed for inspections and maintenance, including debris removal and net repairs. - The prototype costs about €4,000. - Feed accounts for 40% to 60% of production costs in intensive aquaculture. - Automated feeding systems combine underwater cameras, environmental sensors and dispensers to match rations to fish appetite, water temperature and oxygen levels. - Feed can be reduced or stopped when conditions deteriorate or fish stop eating. - Precision feeding can improve feed conversion ratios, cut unnecessary spending and reduce nutrient releases into the water. - Greece’s Fisheries, Aquaculture and Sea programme for 2021-2027 totals €519.6 million, including €363.7 million in EU funding. - The specific amount reserved for farm digitalisation remains uncertain. - AquaFarm 2027 topics under development include sensors and Big Data, remote sensing, water-quality monitoring, fish-behaviour observation, high-resolution weather forecasting and real-time systems to identify environmental threats and invasive species. - The conference programme will also cover precision feeding, functional feeds, microbiomes and animal physiology.

Between the lines: - The sector’s next competitiveness gains are likely to come from better management, not just higher output. - Smaller producers may face a tougher transition because they must integrate hardware, software and staff training across multiple suppliers. - That makes public funding and industry events more important as adoption accelerates. - Renato Pujatti, president of Pordenone Fiere, said warmer seas, higher costs and more demanding markets require farms that can understand what is happening underwater in real time and respond accordingly. - Pujatti said AquaFarm aims to be a place where Mediterranean operators address those challenges together.

What’s next: - AquaFarm 2027’s conference programme is still being updated and will be finalised in the coming months. - Organisers expect the event to bring together technology developers and aquaculture operators around practical tools for monitoring, feeding and farm management. - Greece’s digitalisation push will likely depend on how much of the national fisheries and aquaculture funding reaches farm-level technology adoption.

The bottom line: - For Greece’s sea bream and sea bass industry, the competitive edge is shifting from volume to precision. Farms that can monitor conditions, automate feeding and act on data fastest are best positioned to absorb higher costs and warmer seas.