Excerpt from Despotiko: A Refuge for Boats, Chapter 3 : The Tempest, p. 43- 51 | Master Thesis | Politecnico di Milano 2019

Unfortunately, Greek traditional wooden boats are no longer safe, since they are strongly related to the issue of overfishing. Not only did overfishing lead to the disappearance of marine living resources, but it also left both the seabeds and the nets of small fishing boats empty. Since 1991, a European directive* aims at regulating overfishing, using several methods, such as the cessation and withdrawal of fishing boats. The European Union decided to subsidise fishermen that turn in their fishing licenses and withdraw their boats from the sea. But since 2014, the fishermen that decide to take part in this programme are obliged to destroy their boats, otherwise they are not to receive the financial amount of compensation. With the financial recession striking most of Greek households, it comes as no surprise that the number of boats destroyed grows exponentially.

The amount of money a fisherman will receive for destroying his boat depends on its age and size; prices range from 6 up to 300 thousand euros, an amount too tempting to ignore. Fishermen are allowed to sell separately all their tools (nets, longlines, davits and radiators) as well as the engine of the boat – the only thing that is to be destroyed without any possibility of repair, is the vessel itself. If a fisherman decides to turn in his license and boat, without scrapping the boat and just changing its function, the compensation is much lower.

This European policy was established to concern mostly large fishing fleets in Europe, (Northern Sea countries, Great Britain, France and Spain) but still is affecting all member states. The previously mentioned countries have managed to upgrade their fishing fleet by replacing it with modern transatlantic fishing vessels. On the contrary, Greece operates its fishing activity by using old traditional boats, since they are still efficient. Therefore, the problem lies on the fact that the regulations do not take into account the nature, age and cultural value of the boats to be withdrawn from fishing activity and possibly scrapped. […]

Another weakness of the directive is that there is no clear distinction on the cause of overfishing. The majority of actors that should be blamed for overfishing are not small boats that work and trade locally, but large fishing companies equipped with modern tools that allow bottom trawling, a technique that guarantees a large amount of fish catch and is at the same time destructive for the marine environment and natural aquaculture reproduction.

It has become apparent that the directives of the European Union have not shown any results; illegal fishing and overfishing still goes on, usually by modern inflatable boats or trawl net seines, that use lamps of higher intensity than permitted, and thus kill spawn and plankton.

In Greece, it takes up to three years to construct a wooden boat in a traditional shipyard. After 80-90 years of sailing, such boats are now being shuttered by bulldozers. Sometimes they prove to be so strong, that more than one machine is required to destroy them. It is important to look through numbers, since each boat that has been destroyed implies the loss of a fisherman’s profession and financial income, as well as the gradual extinction of the shipbuilding art, craftsmanship and tradition.

Since 1999, the Traditional Boat Association of Greece is working on protecting the boats. According to their studies, 12 500 out of around 17 500 caiques have been destroyed in the past 20 years. On February 2018, another 763 were destroyed, while 522 applications were on a waiting list, because of a shortage in available financial compensation. In total, 45 million euros are being disposed for destroying the boats.

Several European countries, such as Great Britain, France and Portugal, have established specific rules for protecting old vessels, while honouring traditional professions through exhibitions in their nautical museums. On the contrary, the Greek government encourages the demolition of old shipyards and does not promote the foundation of a traditional craftsmanship school that could transfer the knowledge of the sea to newer generations. The Traditional Boat Association of Greece insists that the first step for safeguarding and honouring the Greek seafaring heritage is the preservation of old vessels and their change of function for recreational or touristic use.

Throughout the years, several attempts have been made to rescue traditional boats. However, other problems still arise, since their preservation costs are high and there is no official program yet responsible for this process. “Unfortunately, the European Union does not subsidise conservation, so all 26 vessels that have thus far entered into a rescue program in Greece are now being left to rot, or no longer even exist” says Konstantinos Katsafaros, spokesman for the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food.

The campaign is urging government officials to stop the EU-funded destruction of traditional fishing boats, while asking for the same compensation to be offered either for the dismantling of the vessels or their rescue. “The crime against our naval tradition must be stopped. These boats are the soul of the Aegean, an integral part of our history, our tradition, our consciousness,” says South Aegean Regional Governor George Hadzimarkos. “It is callous to destroy such masterpieces, true works of art; it is an insult to our seafaring legacy.”

* The regulation as stated on the Official Journal of the European Union: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32014R0508&from=EN

© DAFNI RIGA 2020