New details have revealed an “Italian connection” in the investigation into the illegal harvesting of protected red coral off the Sporades island of Skopelos, in the west-central Aegean, as Greek authorities are now focusing on what is possibly a wider cross-border trafficking network.
According to reports so far, a vessel stopped by the Hellenic Coast Guard had been chartered by Italian nationals and has been linked to a transport company that frequently operated cargo routes to Italian ports. Police investigators are examining whether the operation formed part of an organized supply chain trafficking the highly prized Mediterranean red coral.
During inspections aboard the vessel, authorities seized quantities of protected red coral, diving equipment, specialized cutting tools and storage compartments allegedly used to conceal the harvested specimens. The coral species is protected under the European Union’s Natura 2000 conservation framework and broader EU marine environmental legislation, making its unauthorized collection a criminal offense.
The latest findings add an international dimension to a case that has attracted significant attention over the past week, after coast guard and environmental authorities in Greece uncovered what officials described as one of the most serious recent incidents of illegal coral harvesting in local waters. Media reports indicate the investigation is focusing not only on those aboard the vessel but also on potential commercial links outside the east Mediterranean country.
Although domestic legislation provides for the licensing of commercial red coral harvesting, authorities say the system has effectively been dormant for years.
According to officials cited by local media, the last professional harvesting permit was issued in 2017, while recreational collection remains strictly prohibited. In practice, no active licenses are currently in force, meaning any extraction of red coral from Greek waters is considered illegal.
Marine conservation experts said the incident also highlights broader weaknesses in environmental oversight.
Ekaterini Miliou, scientific director of the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation, was quoted on Wednesday as saying that a comprehensive mapping of its coral ecosystems remains incomplete. She also warned that recreational vessels operating in protected Natura 2000 marine areas are subject to insufficient monitoring.
“What happened was foreseeable,” she said, saying authorities cannot know the full extent of similar activities taking place in protected waters.
The case has also revived longstanding concerns over reports that, in previous years, Greek-issued coral harvesting licenses were allegedly transferred in practice to foreign vessels -primarily those with Italian interests – through subcontracting arrangements. Authorities are expected to examine whether any comparable mechanisms were used in the Skopelos operation.
