“First, it ensures the protection of the marine environment, biodiversity, marine life, and underwater cultural heritage under state protection. ”
Indeed:
Archipelagos Institute documents dozens of fishing incursions in the eastern Aegean, as local fishermen warn of damage to marine ecosystems.
www.ekathimerini.com
In mid-July, the Triton, a research vessel operated by the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation, was sailing on a scientific mission in the Aegean when its crew encountered evidence of extensive illegal fishing activity. In a narrow area of international waters, they spotted four Turkish trawlers.
In the days that followed, the vessels used the area as a base to enter Greek territorial waters and fish with bottom trawling gear between Agathonisi, Samos, Fournoi and Patmos, despite existing restrictions. Even after they had been detected, they allegedly continued to sweep the seabed for days, undeterred.
“Bottom trawlers drag a large net along the seabed. The net remains open and is held in place by two metal doors that flatten the seabed like bulldozers,” Anastasia Miliou, hydrobiologist and head of scientific research at the Archipelagos Institute, told Kathimerini. “They were designed to operate in muddy areas, but in vulnerable ecosystems the damage they cause is enormous and irreversible.”
However, since July 16, Archipelagos Institute has recorded more than 50 locations where Turkish trawlers were active between Samos, Fournoi and Agathonisi. According to the institute’s data, only six of those locations were inside or close to the boundaries of international waters.
“The first vessel starts fishing, nobody stops it, and then the others follow. They are knowingly causing destruction. An area that should be given a temporary chance to recover is being fished day and night,” Thodoris Tsimpidis, director of Archipelagos Institute, told Kathimerini.
“They fish even 50 meters from the shore, in four meters of water. I have lost my nets twice,” said Spyros Iliou, a fisherman from Samos. “Coast Guard vessels drive them away, but they come back. They have ruined the area.”
He said Turkish trawlers are highly maneuverable vessels, usually around 15 meters long. Their cabins are relatively low and their hulls are painted dark blue or black, possibly in a bid to make them harder to spot.
Unlike Greek vessels and all boats operating under European fishing regulations, Turkish vessels cannot be monitored by Greek authorities through the Vessel Monitoring System, an EU satellite tracking system that records fishing activity. They can be detected through the Automatic Identification System, used for maritime safety, but in some cases vessels have been found to switch it off.