Greece is taking another step forward to protect its marine fauna and flora.
Illegal fishing presents a serious environmental and economic challenge for the country.
A new interactive map presenting real-time information on active fishing zones aims to make regulations clearer for citizens.
Greece battles illegal fishing
Greece has clamped down on the smuggling of sea urchins in recent years, a product which can fetch lucrative sums on the black market.
Bottom trawling also poses significant risks to protected seagrass meadows, while illegal octopus traps litter the Thracian Sea.
Greek authorities have imposed strict seasonal regulations on fishing and prohibited certain types of fishing gear.
"Fishing is one of the most important production and development sectors in the country and control is an important part of ensuring marine wealth and the adequacy of the fish population," the Fisheries Control Directorate states on its website.
Greece launches map of active fishing areas
Now, the Directorate has launched a new digital platform that maps out active and inactive fishing zones in real time.
The tool aims to provide citizens with direct, reliable and responsible information on the main local bans on commercial fishing in the Greek marine area.
Through an easy-to-use interactive map, users can see which fishing zones are off-limits at the time of searching.
The platform supplies information on specific closures and bans:
- marine areas with vegetation, mainly Posidonia seagrass, in accordance with current legislation (No. 2886/142447, Government Gazette 105D),
- areas where the use of purse seine - a large, wall-like fishing net used to surround and capture entire schools of pelagic fish - is prohibited,
- areas where the use of trawlers is not allowed.
In addition, a detailed reference to the legal framework in force is provided for each area.
The new service is an important step towards modernising the Directorate's communication with the public and is available via its official website.
The application operates in real time and is constantly updated. This means that both professional fishers and citizens can be immediately informed of the current closures for the day.
It also helps citizens to be aware if someone is breaking the law, meaning they can report illegal activity to the local port authorities.
