News
Trawlers Caught Fishing in Greek National Marine Park
Thursday, 13 Oct, 2022
On Saturday, October 8th, two vessels were spotted on radar during the patrol of Sea Shepherd Global’s vessel the M/V Emanuel Bronner for the Monachus Defense Campaign in Greece. Acting in cooperation with the Natural Environment & Climate Change Agency (NECCA) to protect the National Marine Park of Alonissos Northern Sporades (NMPANS), Sea Shepherd crew determined the vessels were moving within the Marine Park and the Greek territorial waters, approximately 4.5 nautical miles from the northeast point of Skantzoura Island.
In communication with the Alonissos Coast Guard, the M/V Emanuel Bronner and its volunteer crew approached the vessels for identification and to confirm their activity. The two trawlers were actively fishing, dragging their gear in a prohibited area based on the Marine Park Rules and the JMA of 1997. The crew collected and submitted the necessary evidence to the Port Authority for further action.
The contribution of Captain Peter Hammarstedt, Director of Operations of Sea Shepherd Global, was crucial for the rapid operational activation of the Monachus Defense Campaign and the M/V Emanuel Bronner in Greece, and for the successes of the Monachus Defense Campaign in his role as operational advisor.
Learn more about the Monachus Defefense Campaign and its mission to protect the Mediterranean Monk Seals in Greece and Italy: https://www.seashepherdglobal.org/our-campaigns/monachus/