The lagoon, at the foot of the hill, is called Limeni and covers approximately 125 acres. The water is brackish but salt content varies depending on the season. Reed beds grow wherever the salinity of the water is lower, and provide a habitat for aquatic birds. Limeni is a natural and important fish farm. Vonitsa has a tradition of fish farming that goes back for centuries. In 1358 the town became the fief of the Venetian Graziano Zorzi, but the residents refused to acknowledge him as their lord. Zorzi imprisoned many of them and destroyed the local fish farms with the help of Venice.