In the heart of spring now, we see concentrations of large schools of fish approaching shallower and warmer waters for the ritual of spawning. Each fish for many weeks (or even months for some species), releases or deposits hundreds or even many thousands of eggs – depending on the species.  

If the reproductive process is not disrupted during this time of year, which are easy targets, trillions of fry will be released and have a chance of survival in our seas, ensuring the regeneration of their stock. However, for decades we continue to see the paradox: in every bay, from coast to coast of the Greek coastline, fishermen (professional and amateur of all types – from sea and land), taking advantage of the breeding concentrations, seek to catch schools of fish, while in a few months they themselves will declare that fish stocks have decreased even more and are unable to survive.

All these fish, of course, end up on the various markets, with the final recipients being the citizens who, in turn, participate in this absurd vicious circle of overfishing and, ultimately, the emptying of our seas.

Clearly, the greatest responsibility for all this disaster is borne by the state, over time for Greece, with huge gaps in knowledge and a complete lack of political will, but we all share a great responsibility as citizens who, as consumers, fishermen or traders, participate in the decimation of fish populations.