Fish Species
Most reports speak of at least 33 species of fish living and breeding in the waters of the Amvrakiko Gulf, while approximately 15 species are caught. Also, recent surveys have recorded at least 80 species in the bay and lagoons and this list is constantly growing. Many young fish feed and grow in the fertile waters of lagoons, where they find suitable conditions for their development. Due to the high productivity of the Gulf, a large percentage of the local population is engaged in fishing.
In the Ambracian Gulf sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), bream (Sparus aurata), sole (Solea solea), eels (Anguilla Anguilla), mullet (Mugil cephalus) etc. are caught.
Bottarga is produced from the female mullet, which the local fishermen call "Bafa".
Amvrakikos is known for its sardine (Sardina pilchardus), mullet (Mullus barbatus), cuttlefish (Sepia), but also for its shrimps, especially the bream (Melicertus kerathurus).
Stripped Prawn (Melicertus kerathurus) is the shrimp of the Amvrakikos, a species of high commercial value for the region of western Greece, which is caught from mid-April to the end of June and from the beginning of October to the end of December, while it is prohibited to catch it in August and September. Its uniqueness, apart from its special taste and nutritional value, lies in the fact that it has a high meat content in proportion to its shell. It is fished by local fishermen and then sold mainly to local traders. It is weighed, washed and standardised with the necessary labelling.
In the area there are endemic freshwater species that live exclusively in our country, such as the lurobelonitsa (Cobitis hellenica), and the Western Greece Goby (Economidichthys pygmaeus).
The conditions and the biodiversity of the natural living and feeding environment of the fish of the Amvrakikos Gulf justify their qualitative superiority. There are no sources of pollution in the area, as evidenced by the presence of pollution-sensitive organisms such as echinoderms and by the analyses of the water and fish, which show the absence of heavy metals, pesticides, antibiotics and biotoxins.
The phytoplankton and zooplankton within the semi-enclosed Ambracian Gulf consist of high value nutrients, which, as demonstrated by recent research, genetically differentiate the sardines, shrimps and prawns that live in the Gulf while providing valuable nutrients for the health of consumers.