Greek fishermen recover thousands of concrete blocks from seabed

Through the Fishing For Litter programme, Greek fishermen have recovered more than 6,000 concrete blocks and approximately 11,700 synthetic ropes from the seabed since 2019. The initiative is a partnership between the Athanasios C. Laskaridis Public Benefit Foundation and the environmental organisation iSea.

The waste is linked to illegal fishing practices involving traditional Mediterranean gri-gri boats. These vessels use floating light devices, referred to as ‘robots’, to attract fish at night. To keep these devices stable, they are anchored to the seabed, but they are often abandoned rather than being lifted out of the water as required by regulations.

Participating vessels have removed over 360 tonnes of waste from deep waters. Plastic accounts for more than 83 per cent of the collected material, while abandoned fishing gear makes up 34 per cent. The highest concentrations of debris have been identified in the Euboean Gulf, the Thracian Sea, and the Thermaic Gulf. The programme continues to expand, currently involving 67 fishing vessels.