‘Abandoned fish farms everywhere’: Greek island grapples with debris polluting the Ionian Sea
At the end of February, a huge, black, plastic object appeared in the Ionian Sea, near the Greek island of Ithaca. It left passers-by and winter swimmers flummoxed – but fishermen and maritime transport...
At the end of February, a huge, black, plastic object appeared in the Ionian Sea, near the Greek island of Ithaca. It left passers-by and winter swimmers flummoxed – but fishermen and maritime transport professionals knew immediately what it was.
They're no strangers to the remains of fish farms contaminating the seabed. Only in this case, the debris threatened the safety of boats and ships operating in the area. Especially at night, a collision with the large pipe-like object – a cage from an abandoned fish farm – could cause serious harm.
Initially, the cage was located in the sea southeast of Ithaca.
"Many ships pass by the spot, so it is dangerous not only for the safety of the boats but also for people," Veronica Mikos, head of global marine conservation foundation Healthy Seas, tells Euronews.
"I was on board when the captain and crew spotted the 'ring' in the sea. Immediately, they called the coast guard, who towed it to Kaminias beach and, with the assistance of a shore-based vehicle, pulled it ashore."
Ithaca's mayor, Dionysis Stanitsas, then asked the environmental organisation for help.
"We managed to get rid of the fish farms that were abandoned on the island. They were cleaned up by Healthy Seas three or four years ago," Mayor Stanitsas tells Euronews.
"But pieces that came off the fish farms ended up in the sea, where they obstruct navigation. We have frequent occurrences like this, and this time the cage was too big. As a municipality we are not able to transport the tube, the cost is too high. So Healthy Seas' contribution is valuable and necessary."
The debris floated from a fish farm off Greece's mainland
The Healthy Seas team immediately realised that the cage did not belong to either of the island's two former fish farms. In previous years, the organisation's divers collected everything left behind by operators who failed to remove nets and cages from the seabed. According to the head of the NGO, the cage belongs to a fish farm located on the coast of Aetolia-Acarnania, the westernmost region of Central Greece.
After the detachment the owner did not take any action and did not inform any competent authority. After floating for about two months in the Ionian Sea, the huge object ended up in Ithaca.
"The system needs to change," says Mikos. "Laws exist, but they are not enforced as they should be. The owner of the abandoned fish farm should have ensured that nets and cages are removed and cleaned. If not, the competent authorities must take action. It is a question of capacity, money and skills. It is not easy to remove an entire fish farm."
A story with a past
This is not the first time the Ionian island has faced environmental pollution caused by abandoned fish farms. In fact, this is Euronews' third time reporting on the issue in Ithaca. In 2022 and 2024, volunteer divers cleared tonnes of dangerous 'ghost nets' from the Greek coastline. These are nets, iron cages and other objects that remained in the sea after the closure of the island's two fish farms.
The entrepreneurs who closed their businesses did not clear up their farms when they left – and they faced no consequences, despite controls that are supposedly in place.
As the years have passed, the plastic nets have polluted the marine environment and have become a trap for the fish in the area.
The intervention of Healthy Seas was integral. The environmental organisation started its action in the summer of 2021 and six years later continues to clean the seabed and the beaches of the island. Volunteer divers from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Greece, Lebanon, Hungary and the United Kingdom have participated in the efforts.
The building belonging to one of the old fish farms is in a state of decay and continues to pollute the sea right next door. In 2024, pieces of wood, plastic and Styrofoam ended up in the water. In 2026, the roof had deteriorated, with further debris ending up in the sea.
"Honestly, five years ago we were very happy. We thought we had solved a long-standing problem, so it was all over," says Healthy Seas head Veronica Mikos. "But shortly afterwards we started getting calls from all over Greece. There were abandoned fish farms everywhere. Then we realised that this was a phenomenon and not an isolated case. The authorities are cooperating, but they often move slowly and we have a lot of red tape."
The municipality of Ithaca has informed the Region of Ionian Islands and the Ministry of Environment and Energy but no action has been taken yet. Despite proof that the abandoned sites are polluting the environment, the government departments claim that they unable to intervene as it is private property.
