Regarding ecological interaction there are principally these issues to be considered :
Pollution of the aquatic habitat by agro-industrial run-off. Especially in Northewestern Greece, but also with general contamination of the lagoons by pestisides, excess fertilizers and other polluants which have reached critical levels, reduces the biomass, threateas fish stocks through entrophication. Respective complaints were voiced by all fishermen and coop-members encountered during the mission.
The presently practiced fishing and harvesting practices, both the gear used as well as the level of effort is depleting the resource. Especially the traps which unselectively catch all fish above fry-size are a major obstacle to recruitment. They further reduce the tidal currents flowing through the inlets and slow down renewals of the lagoon waters.
The protection of habitats of rare or endangered species, which in source regions have reached levels of importance, has set limits the hysro-engineering works necessary to improve the aquaculture potential of some lagoon. Especially for future efforts to develop semi-intensive and intensive lagoon culture, a conflit of interest of these activities with habitat protection measure is foreseeable
The development of the touristic potential of some lagoons could also become a source for spatial conflits with aquaculture development.
