Amorgorama: An Initiative Aimed at Saving the Fishing Grounds of Amorgos

How a lot braveness does it take for an unusual fisherman to cease fishing utterly in the most effective fishing grounds off his island, with the purpose of at some point seeing the inventory there wholesome and ample once more? And but, that’s precisely what not one, however roughly 40 members of the Amorgos Skilled Fishing Affiliation “I Chozoviotissa” are doing as a part of the Amorgorama initiative. For his or her efforts, the affiliation obtained the Sustainability Award on the Gastronomos High quality Awards.

The Amorgorama initiative was born primarily out of despair. “For greater than ten years, now we have seen fewer and fewer fish in our nets,” explains the affiliation’s president, Michalis Krosman. The explanations are many: one is overfishing – which, because the fishermen admit, is partly their very own doing. Then there may be the altering local weather, which has warmed the seas, inflicting the fish to hunt colder waters out within the open ocean. (Nonetheless, it’s in simply these waters that the big, non-competing trawlers function, touchdown their catch whereas additionally damaging the nets of smaller fishing boats.) What’s extra, rainfall within the space has additionally decreased, which suggests there may be much less of the nutrient-rich run-off that after lured the fish into shallow areas.

Taking a look at all these components, it appeared clear that fishermen needed to take motion. Furthermore, they needed to do it on their very own, as outdoors assist couldn’t be anticipated, and they also launched into a course that was distinctive within the annals of Greek fisheries, one that may be summarized as follows:

A Short-term Fishing Ban

The fishermen are implementing an entire ban on fishing for all vessels – native and non-local, skilled and novice – inside a radius of 1 nautical mile from the shores round all of Amorgos through the months of April and Might, which is fish-spawning season. Throughout these months, the fishermen will perform a meticulous cleanup of the shallows, eradicating rubbish and plastics in a crowd-funded ecological effort.

A 5-12 months Full Fishing Cessation

For 5 consecutive years, fishing will stop fully within the island’s three most essential fishing grounds: Nikouria; the inlet of Katapolon; and the world between the islets of Gravoussa and Kalotaritissa. This may give the fish time to breed undisturbed – a technique that’s been confirmed efficient in dramatically rising fish populations in different elements of the world. On the similar time, the fishermen have changed their nets with ones which have bigger mesh sizes, in order that they don’t catch the younger offspring, and which can be recyclable.

These measures, undertaken on the initiative of the fishermen themselves, all fall underneath the umbrella of the Amorgorama undertaking. These actions had been launched with the assist of the Cyclades Preservation Fund, the Blue Marine Basis, and the Agricultural College of Athens, organizations which financed and carried out the mandatory scientific research related to those efforts, research which they’ve offered to the Ministry of Rural Improvement and Meals for wider institutionalization.

Krosman is keen to emphasize how effectively the fishermen collaborate, how critically they’ve taken the Amorgorama, and the diploma of maturity, unity, and willpower they’ve proven to make sure that each motion is taken collectively and in coordination. Their initiative rapidly gained important publicity, with main worldwide media reporting on their actions. This has resulted in stress on the ministry to assist formally institutionalize the measures by pushing for a Presidential Decree formalizing the closure of the prohibited areas and establishing the foundations for implementing the five-year fishing cessation.

The issuance of such a decree would make the Amorgorama initiative distinctive on the planet, so it’s no shock that the eyes of each the Greek and the worldwide fishing communities are fastened on Amorgos. “If it succeeds right here, it would succeed elsewhere,” says Mr. Krosman. “That’s the reason we are saying that, for this five-year interval, assist from the state is required. With out compensation, no fisherman will have the ability to survive.”

It’s hoped that the award from Gastronomos and the continuing publicity – each inside and past Greek borders – will mobilize state assist to beat obstacles and formally again this brave initiative, which might effectively turn into a world mannequin. In any case, Amorgorama is definitely a worthy enterprise!

The seventeenth High quality Awards of Gastronomos had been devoted to the producers of the Cyclades. At a vital crossroads within the historical past of the Cyclades, the place numerous circumstances have restricted engagement with the first sector, the awards highlighted the exceptions – those that persist in working the land and tending to livestock, producing cheeses and conventional cured meats, cultivating native varieties, honoring Cycladic traditions, and steadfastly preserving the Cycladic lifestyle.

This text was beforehand revealed in Greek at gastronomos.gr.