Greece’s 15,000 km coastline is home to carbon-rich Posidonia seagrass, algal meadows, and diverse marine life, including fish, whales, dolphins, and monk seals. However, it faces the fastest environmental decline in Europe due to 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.

In the past three years, Blue Marine has been leading a transformative conservation effort in Greece to restore the health of its territorial waters. We have forged numerous partnerships with environmental NGOs, governmental institutions, and local communities.  

Together we have launched more than ten projects across the country, focusing on the creation of new marine protected areas (MPAs), strengthening the management of existing ones, and safeguarding vital habitats and species. Our goal is to have 30 per cent of the country’s entire Exclusive Economic Zone protected, and 10 per cent designated no-take.  

The results are starting to shine through. In a historic milestone for marine conservation in Greece, the government made an unprecedented commitment in 2024 to expand its MPA network from 20 per cent to 32 per cent, and announced a gradual ban on bottom-trawling within all MPAs by 2030 – the first in Europe. 

At the Our Ocean conference in Athens in April 2023, the Greek Minister of Rural Development and Food declared the government’s commitment to protect the island of Amorgos – a move that aligns with the passionate, long-standing calls made for conservation by the island’s fishers. They have been at the forefront of marine stewardship, and are now making history with their initiative, ‘Amorgorama’. The project – unique not only in Greece but in the entire Mediterranean – has been supported by Blue Marine every step of the way. Together, we have seen their unwavering dedication bear fruit, and we could not be more thrilled with this remarkable victory. 

Elsewhere, we have been advocating for the inclusion of the biodiverse islet of Formicula, home to monk seal and groupers, in the newly announced Ionian Marine Park. The decision awaits approval from the Prime Minister. We submitted our request for protection of the island of Santorini to the Ministry of Environment jointly with the Municipality of Santorini, the Fishers’ association and the local environmental group. Another islet that we mapped with our partners – Velopoula, south of the island of Spetses – has been included in the recently announced Aegean MPA. 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.   

Our Blue Climate unit also supported the mapping this year of the distribution and coverage of the Posidonia meadows within Erimitis Bay in Corfu. We simultaneously conducted a baseline assessment of the carbon stocks, carbon sequestration rates and storage, biodiversity surveys and health/condition assessments.  

Through this work we have gathered enough evidence to advocate for the protection of Erimitis and the prevention of any development that might threaten this pristine area. We have engaged with local stakeholders to help ensure that future protected areas have appropriate management actions for their vital Posidonia meadows. 

There are signs of progress too on our promotion of invasive species for consumption, with the presence of Lionfish increasing in the markets, most recently on Amorgos, where the price of the fish has increased and it is becoming profitable for fishers to catch it.

As we keep up the momentum in Greece, next steps include a monitoring and enforcement plan for Formicula, a five-year management plan for Amorgos, and a campaign to replicate the island’s inspirational ‘Amorgorama’ model. 

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.