Women in Aquaculture: Pavlina Pavlidou

The Fish Site interviews Pavlina Pavlidou, technical consultant for Selonda Aquaculture in Greece.

Marine aquaculture in Greece is an important sector for the country and the Mediterranean in general, in terms of production volume and value. Favourable environmental and climatic conditions, existing infrastructure as well as long-standing experience and scientific know-how have made aquaculture one of Greece's key productive sectors. With a multiannual national strategic plan for aquaculture in place, competitiveness and sustainability are likely to be further enhanced.

A key player in Greece's aquaculture is Selonda Aquaculture SA, one of the largest marine fish producers in the Mediterranean. Pavlina Pavlidou has been part of Selonda for 24 years and acted as Hatcheries Division Director for 11 years. Currently working as R&D and Technical Consultant, Pavlina is a firm believer in the importance of breeding programmes and genetics for the future of Mediterranean aquaculture.
She is also keen to stress the significance of the added value for Selonda of having its own hatcheries, and that collaboration between hatcheries and on-growing farms is vital to fulfil the needs of grow-out and continuously improve fry quality.

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What inspired you to start in aquaculture?

I chose to do my biology thesis, which was published in Muscle & Nerve, in neurobiology, but I realised that my real desire was to work outdoors, close to nature. At the same time, I got my first scuba diving certification, which gave me the opportunity to admire the marine world with all its mysteries and miracles. I started looking for work that would fulfil my ambitions and found that Greece, my own country, was actually the champion of Mediterranean aquaculture. My inspiration to start working in aquaculture was a combination of many factors - a desire to work close to nature with my scientific background and the benefits of aquaculture itself that provided me with the idealism that a young person needs to be attracted to a job.

Read the full interview by Bonnie Waycott via The Fish Site.

[Photo by Artur Rydzewski | Flickr]