In a groundbreaking new move to mitigate the impact of overfishing off the Greek island of Amorgos, a new Presidential decree has been published placing a year-round fishing ban across three of its most critical marine areas.
The ban is the fruit of an 11-year campaign led by local fishermen from the Professional Fishing Association of Amorgos to try to preserve the stocks that have run out – one that has been described by Blue Marine Foundation as “an act of collective courage for the future of the sea and the local economy.”
Published this week, the Presidential decree places a year-round ban on fishing near Katapolon and the islets of Gramvousa and Nikouria. It also places a ban on fishing from April 1 to May 31 – the peak spawning season for most fish species – each year within 1.5 nautical miles of Amorgos shores.
“Eleven years of effort have passed, often with large gaps where there was no progress, only disappointment,” said Michalis Krosman, President of the Amorgos Professional Fishing Association.
Supporting the campaign and critical to the publication of the decree has been the Cyclades Preservation Fund and the UK-based Blue Marine Foundation who has called it a “shining example of cooperation between fishers, scientists, institutions, civil society, and both local and national authorities, united by the common goal of safeguarding the seas and supporting fishers’ livelihoods.”
Angela Lazou, Greece projects manager at Blue Marine Foundation, said: “This achievement is a profoundly moving highlight of my 20-year professional journey. It is one of the biggest marine victories in Greece, for what it symbolises and what it can trigger from now on.”
Last month, the Prime Minister of Greece described Amogorama – the campaign to preserve its marine biodiversity and replenish fish stocks – as a model project worthy of support, highlighting the government’s commitment to targeted measures for the restoration, recovery, and resilience of marine species and biodiversity.