Most fish species form reproduction groups in warm shallow waters during this time of the year. For example the various species of Barracuda that gather in large shoals of hundreds of fish. Each female barracuda can release up to 300.000 eggs in the water. It goes without saying that each time we catch a fish during the reproduction period, we strip the sea of hundreds of thousands of eggs and larvae that would have had a chance to survive.
Disrupting fish reproduction is not only destructive for marine life, but also for humans who expect to cover their food needs from the sea. Even when we look in awe at these amazing images from the fish reproduction process, we don’t stop fish decimation.
Sustainable management of fisheries should have been a priority for the national authorities. However, in Greece, the legal framework remains deficient, like many other things. This fact however does not mean that each of us does not have a personal responsibility.
It is beyond understanding that both professional and recreational fishermen from all over the coastal regions around Greece strive even harder to catch fish during the reproduction period.
As our seas can’t afford any more wasted time, we now have to decide whether we choose to apply sustainable practices, or we want to be just passive observers participating in the destruction of our seas.
