Liopetri, Cyprus. Severe weather on Wednesday damaged offshore aquaculture facilities near Liopetri, releasing large numbers of farmed sea bass and bream into open waters. Authorities said producers are still assessing the damage and the full scale of losses remains unclear.
Damage and escape of stock
The fisheries department confirmed that strong storms tore through fish farming equipment, allowing large quantities of stock to escape. Officials said calculating exact losses is difficult, noting that each unit holds millions of fish.
Recurring storm-related impacts
Authorities said the incident follows a recurring pattern of storms damaging offshore farms in recent years. Such events typically draw increased fishing activity along the Liopetri coastline and around Vasiliko, where the island’s largest aquaculture farms are based.
Call for compliance with fishing rules
Authorities warned that the sudden influx of farmed fish into open waters could intensify pressure from recreational fishing and urged the public to comply strictly with regulations. Under current rules, sea bass must measure at least 25 centimetres to be legally caught, while sea bream must reach a minimum of 20 centimetres.
Will you comply with the size limits and existing measures when fishing for sea bass and sea bream?