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.”
The timing of the Turkish vessels’ appearance is considered particularly damaging for marine ecosystems in Greek waters. Currently, the use of all bottom-towed fishing gear is prohibited in Greek territorial waters, allowing already depleted fish stocks a chance to recover.
