The processing sector in Greece has in the past been largely geared to the production of salted and canned sardine and anchovy products. The industry has in recent years suffered a severe decline mainly due to changes in the supply situation.
Traditionally, supplies of sardines, upon which processing depended, were arranged through contracts with catchers. However, the catching sector has moved away from sardines to exploit the opportunities presented by the more lucrative markets for fresh anchovies, leaving processing plants undersupplied.
The decline in the industry and underutilization of capacity have left plants with obsolete equipment, incapable of producing products in the “easy-open” cans which are now in demand. Where there has been modernization, companies have to import the modern cans from abroad.
Other problems for the industry have included low levels of management of plants and a lack of operating capital 1.
In 1983, utilization of available processing capacity was estimated1 at only 39% and the problem of underutilization remains. In 1986, the tonnage of processed product was estimated at 14 500 t (Ministry of Agriculture) and the number of plants was 53.
1 “Regional Aspects of Community Fisheries Policy in Greece” - Study by NCMR, 1983
In addition to salting and canning units, there are a number of small packing plants which process bulk, frozen-at-sea fish into small frozen packs for retail. The quantity of raw material available in this form in 1986 was between 10 000 and 12 000 t. Quantities prior to the introduction of 200-mi limits have been as high as 18 000 t/year.
Finally, and of particular relevance to aquaculture production, smoking of eel and trout takes place in both small “on-farm” units and at the following processing plants:
| Plant/Location | Capacity (t) Product |
| “Tsallos”, Ioannina | 80, smoked trout |
| Preveza | 500, smoked trout, eels |
| “Skabavias”, Thessaloniki | 200, frozen and smoked trout |
| “Emska”, Thessaloniki | 350, smoked trout and eels |
| Orchomenos (2 plants) | 200, smoked trout |
Product from Orchomenos, “Emska” and “Skabavias”, is mainly directed to export markets in northern Europe. The “Skabavias” plant has been involved in contract supplies to these countries for the past 20 years (Source: Agricultural Bank of Greece).
Official plans (Ministry of Agriculture) identify a range of opportunities for the development of the processing sector in Greece.
First, modernization of salting and canning operations, using the under-exploited sardine resource, is being encouraged.
Canning of tuna is also officially encouraged as the Ministry believes that the tuna resource in the North Aegean is significant and that there will be sufficient raw material, over and above that which will be directed to prime, fresh markets, to supply a local processing industry.
The canning of imported mackerel to supply markets within Greece is also an opportunity which has been identified and its development is being encouraged.
Opportunities for the development of processing for frozen products are also identified in official plans; in particular, the modernization of operations for re-packing bulk, frozen fish and the establishment of freezing plants for prawns and shrimps. One such plant has recently been approved and is to be established in the Evia area.
The smoking of eel and trout are subject to development effort with recent investments in new plants at Thessaloniki and Preveza. Within the overall context of the processing sector in Greece, this is seen as being out of the mainstream and not a major opportunity, but it is clearly of importance to aquaculture. “Emska” plans to expand its capacity to 1 400 t/year in the near future.
Finally, given that the demand for fish in Greece is predominantly for fresh products, the major product development requirement for aquaculture will be concerned with good quality control and appropriate grading and packing practices at the harvesting and post-harvesting stages for finfish, and with proper depuration facilities for molluscs.
