1.5 tons of nets and a number of questions!

Aegean Rebreath, with the support of Yacht Week, recovered a huge amount of “ghost nets” in three different locations. We were incredibly proud of this effort and were energized by our partnership with a similarly minded, active organisation like Yacht Week. We were however, deeply concerned and saddened by the results of our investigations into marine pollution in the area.

Our day started with a dive at the new pier of the port. We had heard that construction of the pier was connected with illegal dumping of rubble and garbage into the sea. Our findings initially confirmed our concerns since we found dozens of bags buried at the sea bottom. We took photographic and video evidence of the waste and shared with the competent bodies.

We had organized our visit to Poros island after receiving information from the local fishing and diving community about “ghosts nets” covering the reefs. We visited three different places where we did find such nets and entangled marine life. In addition, we found an enormous net dumped in an area where a fish farm used to be. It was clear to us that this net was deliberately thrown into the sea, covering a large area of the seabed. Our discovery of this unacceptable disregard for marine life has made us more determined to take the evidence to the Municipality in order to ensure responsible parties are dealt with appropriately.

It was a big and busy day for us at Aegean Rebreath – we were severely dishearted by the litter and entangled wildlife we found, but as always, we find hope in our volunteers, our local citizen activists and our partners. We’re proud to be regenerating the sea!