Mytilene farmers protest compensation delays and disease response

Farmers and livestock keepers gathered in Mytilene, Lesbos, to protest the summons of 13 individuals for testimony and the slow payment of compensation claims. They marched from the Central Port Authority to the Regional Veterinary Service demanding faster relief and more effective measures against the ongoing “afthodous fever” that has affected the island.

The Ministry of Rural Development has sent a letter to the North Aegean Regional Authority raising questions about the implementation of preventive actions, noting nine new cases of the fever in the past two weeks despite four months of control measures. The Federation of Agricultural Associations also complained that half of the disinfection centers are non‑operational and called for mandatory disinfection at ports and road checkpoints. The protesters sought a meeting with the Veterinary Service head, Stratis Tzombanelis, insisting on an open dialogue about the delays and prosecutions they face.