Greece has 15,000 km of coastline, home to carbon-rich Posidonia seagrass and algal meadows, as well as thousands of species of fish, shellfish, whales, dolphins, monk seals, turtles, octopuses and micro-organisms. It also has the fastest-deteriorating environment and poorest marine conservation status in Europe, caused by overfishing, pollution, coastal development, unsustainable tourism, invasive species and marine traffic.  

In 2018, Greek fishers and NGOs were part of a group that travelled at Blue Marine’s invitation to our flagship fisheries and conservation project at Lyme Bay in England. We have continued to expand our conservation work in Greece, and in 2023, our focus was the designation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), threatened habitat and species protection, tackling invasive species and increasing awareness of the marine environment.  

A new MPA around Formicula Island now protects one of the most important monk seal breeding sites in the Mediterranean. Events throughout Greece are promoting a new market in invasive species, reducing pressure on native marine life. We have mapped thousands of square kilometres of seagrass, a necessary step towards effective protection, and built good relations with the Ministries of Environment and Fisheries, so that we can assist them in hitting their commitments for environmental protection by 2030.  

On the island of Amorgos in the Aegean, the small-scale fishers have been trying to protect the coastal waters from industrial fishing though a novel initiative named Amorgorama, led by the Amorgos Fishers’ Professional Association. It seeks to adopt a sustainable way of fishing in the Aegean, to tackle the ever-increasing pollution of the coasts, and create MPAs around the island.  

Ten years ago, the fishers saw that their nets were coming back empty and their income was decreasing so they submitted a management plan to: abstain from fishing in April and May; in those months collect plastic and other waste from remote areas of Amorgos; change the mesh size of their nets to increase selectivity; create three permanent no-fishing zones. 

To put these measures into action, they partnered with Blue Marine, Cyclades Preservation Fund, and the Agricultural University of Athens. 

In 2023, we secured the support of the state by signing a memorandum of cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the General Secretariat of Island Policy, and the Municipality. We are in discussions with the Fisheries to secure funds from the EU Maritime and Fisheries Fund to implement the management plan after the official designation of the MPA.   

Amorgos will then become the first MPA designated by the Ministry of Fisheries that is the creation of local small-scale fishers. Through this process, we are creating a new legislative framework to create MPAs in Greece.  

An initiative proposed by a fishing community and supported by the authorities has great potential for replication. With our partners, we are already engaging with neighbouring islands to empower communities to follow models of sustainable, low-impact fishing, inspiring them to create more MPAs in the Cyclades, throughout Greece and in the wider Mediterranean. 

Blue Marine has developed close partnerships with the following organisations:   

Ionian Environment Foundation, which supports local environmental and conservation initiatives to preserve the Ionian Islands exceptional natural beauty for generations to come.    

Cyclades Preservation Fund, which creates positive change in environmental behaviour, policymaking and to develop collaborative networks to help the local communities of the Cyclades follow sustainable solutions.    

Thalassa Foundation, a non-profit environmental organisation established in 2013, promoting conservation and sustainability of the Mediterranean, with a focus on Greece.    

ISea, a non-profit environmental organisation established in 2016, promoting the protection of aquatic ecosystems through raising awareness, conducting scientific research, as well as pushing for the adoption of protection measures and sound policies.    

Argolic Environment Foundation, was established in 2021 to help the communities of the Argolic Gulf to become leaders in the transition to sustainability, protecting and regenerating key marine and terrestrial ecosystems and improving their relationship between humans and nature.