Drones and radars fight illegal fishing

Since 2015, WWF Greece has led an effort to protect Gyaros, an uninhabited island in the Cyclades and a Natura 2000 site which hosts the largest colony of the endangered Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) in Greece. This has been made possible through the use of a state-of-the-art surveillance and patrolling system that relies on a wide-range marine radar, a high-definition infrared camera and a drone. The program, which is credited with decreasing illegal fishing activity by up to 85% over seven years, will be continued by the Hellenic Coast Guard and the Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency (NECCA), it was announced Tuesday.