A vessel of the Sea Shepherd organisation called Sea Eagle is currently removing illegal octopus traps off the coast of Greece. The operation is being conducted with the support of the Greek Coast Guard and on the invitation of the of the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace and the Fisheries Department of Xanthi. Last year, the vessel removed up to 6,500 illegal octopus traps in a similar mission.
The illegal traps consist of plastic pots attached to long lines that deceive octopuses into thinking they are safe shelters. The “pot” technique is also used off the Tuscan coast in Italy where Sea Shepherd was also involved in operations to remove these traps in collaboration with the Italian Coast Guard.
The Mediterranean Sea has a serious problem of overfishing with many of its fish stocks decreasing rapidly as a result. Octopus stocks in the Mediterranean Sea are also under threat with specific areas like in Greece experiencing significant decline due to rise of illegal fishing.
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