DETERMINING POTENTIAL CONFLICTS BETWEEN SMALL-SCALE FISHERIES AND SEA-CAGE FISH FARMS IN THE AEGEAN SEA

Background. Fish farms attract both juvenile and adult wild fishes in great numbers and diversity. These wild fishes also become an easy target stock for local fishers, both professional and recreational. There are three groups of interest in this study, the fish farmers, small-scale fishermen (professional), and recreational fishers (mostly anglers but also spear fishers). This study was intended to determine conflicts derived from the adverse social and bioecological interactions from the perspective of both local fishermen and fish farmers and to determine the observed incidence of predators.