The evolution of Greek fisheries during the 1928-1939 period

Abstract

          In the present study, Greek fisheries landings were extended back to 1928, for the first time, from data derived by the General Statistical Service of Greece during the 1928-1939 period. In particular, we: (a) present the annual fisheries landings for all species combined, fishing effort for all gear-types combined and species-specific landings during 1928-1939, (b) re-allocate the spatial resolution of landings during 1928-1939 to that during 1964-2007, and (c) compare the landings for different periods during 1928-2007. Results showed that during 1928-1939, landings and effort generally increased. The time series of all species landings exhibited a strong between-year variability, with 23 out of 40 species displaying a significant increasing trend. The analysis of fisheries landings over time (1928-2007) displayed four distinct patterns corresponding to four phases of Greek fisheries development: (1) a gradual increase during 1928-1949 (pre-development phase of fisheries), (2) a steeper increase during 1950-1969 (growth phase), (3) a much steeper linear increase during 1970-1994 (fully tο over-exploited phase) and (4) a declining trend during 1995-2007 (collapse phase). These phases coincided chronologically with significant socio-economic and political events that took place in Greece since 1928.