Mediterranean Aquaculture in a New Era of Challenges: Digital Transformation and Precision Fish Farming

Mediterranean aquaculture is a strategic component of regional food production and the blue economy, supplying high-value marine species with a comparatively lower environmental footprint to many other animal protein systems. Yet the sector is entering a period of intensified pressure. Climate change, resource constraints, rising production costs, market competition, fragmented production structures, and increasingly complex regulatory demands are reshaping the conditions under which Mediterranean fish farming operates. At the same time, conventional husbandry practices remain heavily dependent on labor-intensive routines and limited observation of biological and environmental processes in open marine systems.

This paper examines how digital transformation and precision fish farming can support a more resilient, efficient, and sustainable Mediterranean aquaculture sector. After outlining the current characteristics of marine fish farming in the region, the paper discusses the main structural, environmental, and economic challenges affecting production. It then presents precision fish farming as a management paradigm based on continuous observation, reliable data collection, quantitative analysis, and timely decision-making. Key enabling technologies are reviewed, including sensor networks, cameras, Internet of Things systems, remote sensing, drones, remotely operated and autonomous underwater vehicles, automated feeding systems, artificial intelligence, decision support systems, and digital twins.

The paper also highlights current application areas such as environmental monitoring, forecasting and modeling, non-invasive monitoring of fish behavior and morphology, feeding optimization, site suitability analysis, and cage inspection. Particular attention is given to barriers to adoption, including investment cost, data quality, interoperability, capacity building, cybersecurity, data ownership, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence. The central argument is that digital transformation is no longer optional for Mediterranean aquaculture: it is becoming a prerequisite for adapting production systems to environmental uncertainty, improving operational performance, and strengthening long-term sustainability. However, successful implementation will depend not only on technology availability, but also on skills development, organizational readiness, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.