From mammals and birds to crustaceans and reptiles, some bioluminescent, others color-changing, the vast, deep, blue oceans of our planet house an incredible array of wildlife. But many of these creatures are under constant threat from poaching and destructive fishing practices. Our oceans and the creatures living in them are under attack.
However, as these problems persist, countless organizations and agencies work tirelessly to combat them, hoping to encourage a symbiotic relationship between humans and the sea, rather than the parasitic path we are currently heading down.
One of these organizations is Sea Shepherd. Acting as the ocean’s guard dog since 1977, the group works to prevent access to the ocean’s most vulnerable inhabitants from poachers and those engaging in illegal fishing activity.
Founded in Vancouver, Canada, Sea Shepherd has amassed a global fleet, with different teams organizing and participating in region-specific campaigns. Across the Mediterranean, octopuses are at heightened risk of overfishing and harmful practices, and Sea Shepherd’s teams from Italy and Greece are leading actors in the fight to save them.
Starting in 2022, off the shores of islands in Northern Italy, the team removed 7,672 illegal octopus traps from the ocean floor. Riding the wave of the effort’s success, in 2023, the group moved its mission to Northern Greece, home to the country’s largest octopus population. In just 20 days, 6,500 traps and 52,000 meters of rope, part of miles-long systems of cages, were removed from the sea, and hundreds of octopus were released back into the wild.
But the relationship between Greece and its octopuses runs deep. For centuries, the octopus has been depicted in literature, poetry, and pottery as a revered symbol of intellect. And today, it is considered a delicacy, often enjoyed doused in lemon as part of a mezze spread, which plays a significant role in its increasing vulnerability.
Every year, Greece hosts millions of tourists, many of whom visit for the cuisine, especially fresh seafood. So while octopus fishing has largely supported part of the Greek economy, its high demand has led to illegal overfishing and reckless damage to the country’s octopus population and the biodiversity it contributes to.
So to combat this, in July of this year Sea Shepherd Greece boarded the Sea Eagle for a 75-day campaign, and set sail in the Northern Aegean, one of the most biodiverse and fertile regions in the Mediterranean, where an estimated half a million traps are sitting. However, it was immediately apparent that the problem had not ameliorated since the last mission.
In Greece, trap fishing is illegal from July to September to support marine mating season. Regardless, many fishermen will try to lure octopuses into weighted plastic pots, and instead of removing the pots at the end of catching season, many leave them in the ocean and add new ones. Now, these traps are the most common piece of trash found in the Thracian Sea.
Within the first four days, nearly 5,000 traps were removed from the ocean. And by the end, Sea Shepherd removed 34,546 traps and released 1,587 octopuses back to their home.
To celebrate the end of a productive mission, the Sea Eagle will be open to the public in the port of Thessaloniki from September 11th to the 14th. There, people will get to hear the inspiring stories of Sea Shepherd Greece and the volunteers on the frontlines of the fight to protect marine wildlife.
