The ecological consciousness of the local coastal fishermen of Alonissos for the protection of the environment – the flora and fauna – dates back long before 1992 when the Presidential Decree for the establishment of the Park was passed.

Our fathers, on their own initiative, as members of the Alonissos Fishing Cooperative, without being forced by anyone, decided to create the National Marine Park, the largest in Europe, for the protection of fish stocks and the Mediterranean seal. A large aquarium where fish will breed and seals will multiply.

We, the coastal professional fishermen of Alonissos, have been at the forefront in the creation of the Park, protecting the ecosystem of the area, where today a rich flora and fauna has developed. After all, without our protection, how could the protected species have increased their populations over the years?

The seals have increased and exist because we protect them, even though the increase in their population creates negative consequences for us, such as the destruction of our fishing gear and the taking of our hard-won catches.

It is our conviction that man and the environment must coexist in harmony, without harming either side. The Alonissos National Marine Park cannot function effectively if it does not have the local community and especially the local fishermen as its allies. So we ourselves comply with the law and are vigilant in guarding it.

 

On our own initiative, we have called for restrictions on fishing areas and fishing gear (e.g. fishing with a 22 mm or larger mesh net to allow small fish to survive). Fishing is carried out with certain restrictions, which allow for the replenishment of fish stocks, e.g. nets with a specific opening, fixed fishing hours, etc. It was of course difficult to propose restrictive measures in our profession, making our livelihood even more difficult, but we knew it would have positive long-term effects.

The coastal professional fishermen of Alonissos are the largest fishing fleet in the Northern Sporades. We want there to be sufficient security within the park to protect our profession from illegal fishing and at the same time protect the environment. The aim is to crack down on illegal fishing within the Park, overfishing, antiquities (as there are thousands of years old shipwrecks in our area), etc.

 

We took the initiative to create the Park, we protect it and we will pass it on to the next generation, as our fathers handed it down to us. We believe that if the National Marine Park had not been established in our region, traditional coastal fishing would have died out.

We are aware of the particularities of our region, which we have protected all these years as a matter of course, as it is vital for the survival of our families. Wanting to pass this place on to our children intact, we believe that we, the local coastal fishermen, must protect the Park, as we depend on it for our daily hard livelihood and survival.