One of the key topics of this year’s Elafonisos Eco Week was “Blue Opportunities.” During the conferences on the second day, Mario Dogliani, President of SDG4MED Foundation, began by introducing his organization, which serves as the Secretariat of the Coalition of Mayors for the European “Mission Ocean” initiative. He then focused on the idea of building a value chain for lionfish in the Mediterranean, from “fish to fork”.
He outlined the key actors involved: fishermen, distributors, processors, and restaurateurs; many of whom were present at the event. A critical first step, he said, is to train fishermen to catch lionfish safely, as it is a venomous species. He also highlighted the need to explore processing, logistics, and marketing to make lionfish a viable food product.
He emphasized that to scale this effort industrially, the Mediterranean needs a regional supply chain, addressing issues like transportation methods, cold storage, and culinary value. He also pointed to other uses of lionfish, such as jewelry or leather, as seen in other regions.
He suggested that Elafonisos could become a hub for sharing knowledge and training, especially for fishermen across the Mediterranean.
He raised important scientific and policy questions:
– How large is the lionfish stock in the Mediterranean?
– Should lionfish catches be included in fishing quotas? (He argued they should not.)
– Should lionfish be listed as an invasive species at the European level?
Finally, he proposed that municipalities and institutions (schools, hospitals, the army) could adopt lionfish in their food systems, supporting both ecological and economic goals. He concluded by encouraging collaboration through the RELIONMED project and future integrated research.