The 'silent waste' of Greek seas: Thousands of concrete blocks lifted from seabed

More than 6,000 concrete blocks and thousands of synthetic ropes, which are used illegally and then abandoned in Greek waters, have been retrieved from the seabed over recent years. The Fishing For Litter programme, operated by the Athanasios C. Laskaridis Public Benefit Foundation in partnership with the environmental organization iSea, is responsible for this recovery.

Since the program's inception in 2019, 6,278 concrete blocks and approximately 11,700 ropes associated with fishing boat activities have been collected and documented. The primary areas of concern are the Euboean Gulf, the Thracian Sea, and the Thermaic Gulf.

According to iSea's Communications Manager, Anastasia Charitou, over 360 tonnes of waste, primarily plastic, and 34% comprised of abandoned fishing gear, have been removed from deep waters since 2019. In the current year, the program is expanding its reach across Greece, involving 67 fishing vessels. The practice of using concrete blocks arises from an illegal method employed during night-time fishing with gri-gri, traditional Mediterranean fishing vessels.

Once the fish are located, fish-aggregating devices called "robots" are deployed to attract and concentrate fish shoals using light sources. These devices must be anchored using special small anchors and chains, which are then retrieved once the fishing activity concludes. However, in some instances, crew members opt for an expedient and illegal approach by using concrete blocks, which are subsequently left on the seabed when the light devices are retrieved.

This practice of using concrete blocks instead of anchors leads to a substantial accumulation of waste on the sea floor, posing risks to marine ecosystems, other vessels, and the overall fishing industry.