However, our fishers are at a critical crossroads in history. 58% of assessed fish stocks in the Mediterranean are overexploited (FAO, 2023). Today we consume twice the amount of fish compared to 50 years ago. To meet the very high demand, our seas are overfished, and illegal fishing is thriving, depleting fish populations. Additionally, some fishing gear cause irreversible damage to the seabed and marine environment, while others have very high rates of incidental catch of other species, including endangered ones. What does all this mean? That fishing conducted with unsustainable and irresponsible practices affects significant habitats, such as seagrass meadows and coral formations, as well as sensitive or protected species.

At the same time, fishers see their income and their profession itself threatened by extinction. Women and men fishers face the consequences of the changes brought by the climate crisis in the marine environment and the competition from other sea-related professions, and it is now necessary to make their voices heard in the decision-making centers as well as to find alternative ways to live. The COVID-19 pandemic crisis painfully demonstrated how fragile and challenging reality is for these people who saw their income suddenly almost disappear. If we do not build a sustainable fishery together , the combination of the above threats can prove catastrophic for all.

As part of WWF Mediterranean Marine Initiative, we are closely working with local small-scale fishers, fisheries authorities and other key stakeholders, to advance our vision for an environmentally, socially and financially sustainable small-scale fisheries sector. More specifically, we work in a region rich in biodiversity and where coastal communities and small-scale fishers are an important part of the economy and culture, the Northern Cyclades. 

Drawing lessons from our experience from participatory management in northern Greece, Kavala, where we aimed at supporting the sustainability of purse-seine fishing for the benefit of fish populations and the marine environment, we established the Northern Cyclades SSF Co-management Committee. This was the first of its kind in Greece, where together small-scale fishers, representatives of the State, the scientific community, and other NGOs, a group of local fishers, has committed to jointly develop and implement an integrated fisheries management plan. Participating fishers have already substantially and voluntarily changed their fishing practices, reducing their fishing effort, deploying more selective gears and proposing and adopting voluntary no-fishing zones. Through capacity building, exchange visits and a pilot pre-financing mechanism, participating fishers are building new fishing tourism enterprises, while also testing communal initiatives for increased market access. Additionally we support fishers who have embraced and adopted sustainable fishing techniques to have better market access for their fish. 

Furthermore, we are promoting the integration of participatory fisheries management into national fisheries legislation as we believe that only through the collaboration of all interested parties, such as fishers, competent authorities, scientists, and environmental organizations, we can substantially and crucially contribute to the enhancement of fisheries sustainability and the conservation of fish stocks and marine ecosystems. Participatory management can also lead to the empowerment of local fishing communities and the improvement of the socio-economic conditions of the fishing sector. Thus, by giving a voice to fishers in decision-making, the proposed measures are more effective, and they themselves become part of the solution.

At the same time, we propose sustainable ways to improve fishers’ standard of living as their income is shrinking due to increased expenses and through greater effort. Through training activities, we are supporting fishers while promoting alternative livelihoods, such as fishing tourism, to increase their income and reduce fishing pressure.