Heraklion, Greece (Enmaeya News) — The Mediterranean Marine Finfish Aquaculture Demonstration Centre was officially inaugurated this week at the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR) campus in Heraklion, Crete — a milestone for sustainable aquaculture in the Mediterranean and Black Sea.

Over the course of five days, the center hosted a hands-on training program for researchers and fisheries officials from Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia. Participants gained practical skills in fish farming, including feeding techniques, biomass monitoring, harvesting and net maintenance.

“It was an enriching and highly practical experience,” said one delegate from Egypt. “It empowered us with modern aquaculture methods.”

The center, developed by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization’s General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) and Greece’s HCMR, also received input from the Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture. It combines land-based laboratories with a sea-cage pilot farm in Souda Bay.

The facility integrates scientific research, technical training, animal welfare and production, working closely with the EU Reference Centre for the Welfare of Aquatic Animals, coordinated by the University of Crete.

It is the seventh demonstration hub established by the GFCM to promote sustainable aquaculture across the region. The center emphasizes inclusive capacity-building, particularly for women, youth and small-scale farmers, aiming to strengthen local economies and support climate-smart practices.

“After decades of cutting-edge research and thanks to Greece’s advanced aquaculture sector, we can now transfer this knowledge to other countries to sustainably advance healthy seafood production,” said Dr. Constantinos Mylonas, director of HCMR.

With Mediterranean aquaculture producing 1.38 million metric tons of fish annually and employing more than 100,000 people, the launch of the new center comes at a critical time for the sector’s sustainable and inclusive growth.