End the blind spending of EU fisheries subsidies

Anastasia Miliou, Hydrobiologist & Head Scientist of Archipelagos, IMC and the OCEAN2012 coalition issued the following statement as the European Commission published its proposal for the next fisheries subsidies instrument, the European Fisheries and Maritime Fund (EFMF). “In 2008 the European Commission identified overcapacity as one of the primary drivers of overfishing, and public subsidies as

Declaration: Securing sustainability through the CFP Reform

We, the undersigned organisations, representing artisanal coastal and inland fishworkers, development and environmental NGOs and other stakeholders, share a common interest in placing European fisheries on a sustainable footing by supporting the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) in ways which ensure the recovery of fish stocks and habitats, the promotion of best practice,

NGOs and Artisanal Fishers rally for sustainable fisheries

160 groups from 17 EU member states have signed the declaration ahead of a European Parliament hearing on October 11th on how the proposed CFP reform will affect artisanal fishers. The majority of EU fishers are coastal and artisanal and often work in a less intensive manner, using a range of seasonally diverse fishing methods

Recent advances towards the protection of the Greek Seas from destructive trawling methods

This decision is a breath of fresh air for the depleted marine ecosystems of Greece, as well as vindication of Archipelagos’ efforts since 2008. These efforts have focused on taking action at both national and European levels for the retraction of the decision made by the former Fisheries Deputy Minister Mr Kontos (164198/03-03-08). A quick

Fisherman gets seriously injured using dynamite while fishing in Koufonisia Islands

During the morning of the 19th August 2011, a local and professional fisherman from Koufonisia Islands was seriously injured by dynamite while attempting to carry out dynamite fishing off of the Koufonisia Islands. The use of illegal explosive materials is an on going problem within many small fishing communities in areas of the Aegean Sea and

Μission against international mafia distributors of illegally caught Bluefin tuna

One member of Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation is already on board the ship ‘M/Y Steve Irwin’, that sailed from southern France towards the Libyan Sea and the wider area of the Eastern Mediterranean. At the same time, members of Archipelagos’ research team will patrol the Greek and international waters on their sailing vessel and

Current actions in the field: Fisheries Research

Archipelagos’ researchers follow the fishermen’s demanding time schedule, often during adverse weather conditions, under which their fishing activities take place. The researchers record the production and catch composition (both those fished legally, and those caught illegally) as well as record the prohibited and destructive fishing practices implemented in the region. This research aims to create

Archipelagos in Brussels in a DG MARE meeting, NGO’s combating IUU Fisheries

Archipelagos, the only Greek organization that took part in the workgroup meeting and is deeply involved with illegal fishery issues in Greece, was represented by Anastasia Miliou (Head Scientist & Manager) and Vasilis Kouroutos (Scientific consultant and Marine Protected Areas specialist). The agenda of the meeting included ways of utilizing the information and data collected

Light in the tunnel after pressure by Archipelagos for harmonization of Greek and Mediterranean fishing regulations

The letter stressed that the new ministerial decision will meet the requirements of the Mediterranean regulation (1967/2006), to ensure the sustainable exploitation of fish stocks and protect the environment. This means that fishing with towed gears (trawlers) will only be allowed at longer distances set by the EC 1967/2006 (1.5 miles minimum distance from the

EU Fisheries Council: Greece argues the collapse of tuna stocks

During yesterday’s session of the EU fisheries council in Luxembourg, concerning the issue of reducing the quota for bluefin tuna, the Greek Minister of Maritime Affairs, Islands & Fisheries, Mr. Yannis Diamantidis, maintained a negative and intransigent stance. This reflects the contemporary Greek “political culture” of servicing short-term interests, regardless of consequences. Three weeks before