Özet:

As in other parts of the world, aquaculture plays an important role in terms of contribution to food security, employment for coastal communities and economic development in the Mediterranean and Black Sea countries. Despite its growth, marine/brackish aquaculture in the Mediterranean and Black Sea areas has been facing several constraints with regard to markets and marketing in recent decades. The crucial role of aquaculture farmers’ organizations in sustainable development of aquaculture in the Mediterranean and Black Sea is well acknowledged at GFCM level. This preliminary online regional survey was therefore designed to understand the current status and structure of aquaculture farmers‘ organizations in GFCM member countries and to shed light on organizational and managerial constraints and challenges which hinder their effectiveness. Most of the farmer organizations tended to be multipurpose in delivering advocacy, technical and economic services to their members. However, most of the aquaculture farmers’ organizations from the surveyed area were only moderately effective in delivering advocacy and technical services and even less effective in providing market related and marketing services e.g. trade and intermediation, collection and dissemination of market data /information, capacity of processing/value addition opportunities and collection/dissemination of economic, first sales and production forecast information.

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