South Aegean and Crete launch pilot program to combat lagokefalos in fisheries

The regional authorities of South Aegean and Crete are finalising a joint technical proposal to join Greece’s pilot programme for managing the spread of lagokefalos, a major problem for coastal fisheries in the Eastern Mediterranean. The proposal, coordinated daily between the two regions and the Ministry of Rural Development, seeks funding to provide professional fishers with a compensation of €5.33 per kilogram of caught fish affected by the disease.

The pilot scheme is slated to run until 31 December 2029 and aims to give economic incentives for targeted harvesting of lagokefalos. Antiprefect of Primary Sector for South Aegean, Filimonas Zannettidis, expressed optimism that the submission will be completed soon and the programme will start shortly.