March 24 2025
Coastal Fishers: Our Strongest Allies in Protecting the Marine Environment
Today, a study conducted by the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation, in collaboration with the University of Plymouth (UK), was published in the scientific journal Ocean & Coastal Management. The research draws on our long-standing collaboration with fishing communities in Fourni, Lipsi, Arkoi, Patmos, and Leros, aiming to document what is known as Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK). Unlike citizen science, LEK is based on long-term, generational observations of the environment—knowledge passed down through the years.
Our study had two primary goals:
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To assess the accuracy of fishers’ local ecological knowledge in mapping marine habitats such as Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows, which are protected under EU law.
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To compare the reliability of the habitat maps produced by fishers with the official maps issued by the Fisheries Directorate of the Greek Ministry of Rural Development and Food, and to evaluate which source offers more useful data for managing human activities in marine environments.
The findings were striking:
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Compared to satellite data, the fishers’ maps demonstrated an average accuracy of about 78%, reaching up to 92% in some areas.
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In contrast, the official government maps for the same coastlines underestimated the extent of Posidonia meadows by as much as 52%. Despite a national mapping project costing €660,000, the official data often drastically underrepresented the actual coverage of these critical marine habitats. This underestimation has serious implications for the enforcement of national and EU conservation laws, directly impacting the health of the marine environment.
Coastal fishers, who spend far more days at sea than any researcher or academic, once again prove that their knowledge of marine ecosystems is both credible and invaluable. Ignoring their insights not only undermines the principles of collaborative resource management, essential for effective conservation, but is also a luxury we simply cannot afford. In an era where entire ecosystems are disappearing before we’ve even had a chance to study them, harnessing local ecological knowledge is more vital than ever. This is a fact increasingly acknowledged by the international scientific community—and this study adds yet more evidence to support that recognition.
For nearly three decades, the Archipelagos Institute has worked in close partnership with coastal fishers, whom we recognise as our most critical allies in safeguarding the sea.
Unfortunately, the long-standing marginalisation of coastal fishing by Greek state authorities has led to a dramatic decline in the sector and the slow abandonment of many fishing ports. Today, many islands and coastal areas are forced to import fish from central markets rather than selling their own fresh catch. With more incentives to leave the profession than to stay in it, fewer young people are taking up the mantle of their ancestors. The result? Centuries of local ecological knowledge—painstakingly passed from generation to generation—are rapidly disappearing, along with an irreplaceable part of Greek tradition and island identity.
Read the full scientific publication here:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0964569125000894
