Monk fishing photo by Robert Byron, early 20th century

One year has passed since Archipelagos, Institute of Marine Conservation of Greece, first reported to the national authorities the on-going incidents of illegal and destructive fishing practices taking place in the waters off Mount Athos.

For more than a year now certain fishing boats, mainly purse seines, have continued openly illegal fishing practices in the area. The authorities are aware of these incidents, as we have repeatedly reported to them details of the specific fishing vessels (name, reg. number, etc).

It should be mentioned that in the waters off Mount Athos there is a special fisheries regime, under which fishing is prohibited in the marine zone of 500 meters around the coast, except for monks, who for centuries fish with the same artisanal and sustainable fishing practices. In this way, the monks have, for centuries, ensured the sustainable management of their food supply. This management indirectly benefits the surrounding waters of the northern Aegean, as due to its special geomorphology, this zone supplies with juveniles the fishstocks of the wider marine area.

In essence, the sea around Mount Athos is the only sustainably managed fisheries area of Greece which, unfortunately, today has been overexploited to such an extent that the fish caught are no longer sufficient even for the monks.

The illegal fishing incidents recorded and reported by Archipelagos, take place in the waters around the southern tip of Mount Athos,

photo by Bas kamps

where there are mainly smaller and poorer monasteries, i.e. far from the well-known ones visited by politicians and celebrities. Illegal fishermen are terrorizing monks with the threat of burning the surrounding forest, in the case that they report to the authorities the illegal fishing incidents; and this is the monks’ greatest fear.

It is noteworthy that tolerance of these destructive fishing practices is not only due to financial benefits, but also due to the inefficiency and incompetence of the national fisheries authorities. There also lack of political will to put an end to the severe overexploitation of our natural resources, and especially those of our seas. These resources allowed the survival and development of the local communities in Greece, and it is therefore of utmost importance to preserve them for the generations to come.

The overexploitation of fish stocks off Mount Athos is not an isolated event, but it indicates the extent of this problem in Greece. Still, it is indicative of what consequences we should expect, if no real measures are taken. It also shows that the various media announcements made by the national fisheries authorities about sustainable fisheries in Greece, are rarely put in practice. Our seas, fish stocks and fishermen’s livelihoods are completely unprotected. Read more here

The fisherman of Iviron, Ioannis Photo by Stig Ekkert

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