Messolonghi-Aitolikon lagoon
The lagoon of Messolonghi-Aitolikon, located in the central west coast of Greece, is one of the most famous fishing areas in the world. It is a huge wildlife refuge and a most valuable ecosystem, limited between the borderlines drawn by the estuaries of two rivers.
In these tranquil and pristine waters fish are large in number, especially the famous grey mullet (mugil cephalus). Grey mullet, the female of which offers the renowned botargo, thrives in the waters of the lagoon, of the Ionian Sea and in the open sea. The female grey mullet finds ideal conditions to grow, mate and gestate in waters rich in plankton and with temperatures between 8-24°C (46.5-72°F). During the autumn offshore fish migration, grey mullet is caught while carrying the valuable roe.