Name:
Pan-Hellenic Society of Technologists Ichthyologists (PA.S.T.I.)
Address:
Piraeus, Greece
e-Mail address:
pasti@geocities.com
Brief description of the organization’s activities:
PA.S.T.I. is a Scientific and Professional Society, established in 1991, representing today more than 2,500 graduate Ichthyologists working in Greece. With a 60% of them working on their study’s sector after their graduation, or postgraduate studies, most of our members works as scientific personnel in aquaculture, fisheries, and protection of aquatic environment (75%), followed by smaller percentages working on public administration (15%), and research (10%).
The Society has the dual role of Workers’ Union, dealing with working conditions, wages, and Health & Safety issues for those working mainly on private sector, and Scientific Society’s, aiming on continuous education and training of its members, with special workshops, and training courses on dissemination of latest R&D results.
One of the main missions of our Society is the protection of the sea and the environment. The Society works towards biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, enhancement, and promotion of marine protected areas, etc. It fights against pollution and illegal fishing, and highly promotes environmental education and training.
Sector(s) of involvement:
Aquaculture and fisheries technologies; Food and feed; Bioremediation, ecosystem restoration, climate change mitigation and other environmental biotechnology; Circular economyNoExternally supports
Organization’s support in the application of blue biotechnologies:
Our main target is the dissemination of scientific information. This was achieved through the AquaMedit International Congresses (5 from 2002 to 2010), which from 2014 evolved to the HydroMediT International Congresses on Applied Ichthyology, Oceanography, and Aquatic Environment (https://hydromedit.gr), organised every 2 years in collaboration with the Greek Universities of Thessaly, Patras, and Aegean).
HydroMediT 2018 had 605 participants from 31 countries, with 117 oral presentations and 106 Posters, HydroMediT 2021 (virtual due to COVID-19), had 500 participants from 15 countries, with 85 oral presentations and 100 Posters, and HydroMediT 2024 had 303 participants form 14 countries, with 116 oral presentations and 112 ePosters.
Services and products that the organization would develop to further support the research, innovation, and/or application of blue biotechnologies:
Our Society from its foundation participate as major stakeholder to every public consultation in Greece concerning the sustainable development of fisheries & aquaculture, from the discussions on legislation, minimisation of conflicts, reduction of environmental impact of farms, sitting of the floating cages, marine spatial planning, promotion of sustainable aquaculture, protection of the endangered species, etc.
That interest is continuous, and through the training of our members we help to disseminate the information and the better and fast implementation of planning and legislation.