Protecting the ‘big blue’

Amorgos, a beautiful Cycladic island in the Aegean, became the centre of cinematographic attention in the late ’80s as the location where the movie Le Grand Bleu was filmed. It’s a stunning place that’s maintained its character through the centuries, with impressive bays, clear blue waters and ideal diving spots. It is this paradise that the small-scale fishermen of the island have been trying to protect for the last years through a scheme, ‘Amorgorama’.

Amorgorama is an initiative that was set up in 2015, led by the Professional Fishing Association Of Amorgos, which has sought to adopt a sustainable way of dealing with overfishing in the Aegean and pollution of the coasts, while also envisioning the creation of a protected fishing area on the island.

Ten years ago, the fishermen saw their nets returning empty and their daily income decreasing, so they decided to act. They submitted a plan with the following pillars:

– Abstain from fishing activities in April and May. In those months, they’d use their boats to collect plastic and other waste from the island’s most remote areas. They’d also voluntarily adopt additional fishing measures, such as changing their nets’ mesh size, to increase their gear’s selectivity.

‘Fishermen saw their nets returning empty, so decided to act’

– Create three completely no-take zones. To implement these measures, the fishermen partnered with Blue Marine Foundation and Cyclades Preservation Fund. They secured the support of the state by signing a memorandum of cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture (and Fisheries), The General Secretariat of Island Policy, the Municipality, the two charities and the Agricultural University of Athens.

Amorgos now has a fisheries research laboratory where the Agricultural University of Athens conducts a fisheries study supported by Blue Marine.

Amorgorama is a unique example of cooperation between fishermen, scientists, institutions, civil society, and local and national authorities to protect the sea and the people that depend on it. Its success will play a catalytic role in how we save the waters in Greece and will be a beacon of inspiration for other fishing communities in the Aegean.

Blue Marine is delighted to be part of this unique endeavour: one which stems from the fishermen, who, with a sense of sacrifice and compromise, are fighting to protect the marine environment and, ultimately, their livelihood.

This work aligns with Blue Marine’s mission to safeguard our oceans by protecting 30 percent of the seas and securing sustainable management in the other 70 percent.

Image credit Giorgos Moutafis c/o Blue Marine Foundation