Amorgos fishermen claim their future

Ioannis Vekris, 23, is the youngest fisherman on Amorgos and part of a new generation that is starting to reap the rewards of a revival of their profession after a decade of efforts. Seeing that the fish in their nets were dwindling, the fishermen on the Aegean island decided not to fish in April and May, the seasons when most fish breed, using this time to clean the island’s inaccessible shores from the garbage brought by the sea. They also proposed the creation of three “closed” areas for fishing, places they knew that if they didn’t “fish,” they would serve as a refuge to give the fish a chance to grow. But for years their proposals hit a brick wall with authorities until a year ago when the “Amorgorama” memorandum was signed between the Chozoviotissa Professional Fishing Association of Amorgos, the municipality, two ministries (Rural Development and Environment), two environmental organizations (Cyclades Preservation Fund and Blue Marine Foundation) and the Agricultural University of Athens. [Lefteris Partsalis]