Argolicorama 2022
Designed, fundraised (€15,000 budget), and led a marine conservation initiative in the Argolic Gulf where 16 Spetses fishers conducted beach clean-ups during the spawning season instead of fishing, resulting in the avoidance of 50+ fishing sorties and recovery of 4 trucks of marine waste.
Argolicorama 2022 was a pioneering marine conservation project that took a novel approach to both environmental protection and community engagement. Rather than simply organising volunteer clean-ups, the project partnered with professional fishers from Spetses, offering them paid work to conduct beach and marine clean-ups during the critical spawning season when they would otherwise be fishing.
This dual-benefit approach simultaneously reduced fishing pressure during the most sensitive ecological period and removed significant quantities of marine waste from the coastline and seabed. Key achievements included:
- Designed the entire project concept from scratch
- Raised €15,000 in funding, including co-funding from the Blue Marine Foundation
- Coordinated 16 professional fishers of Spetses
- Built support and buy-in from local stakeholders and the fishing community
- Organised informational events for the local community
- Oversaw logistics for beach and marine clean-up operations
- Produced a 10-minute documentary film to disseminate the project’s impact
The project resulted in the avoidance of over 50 fishing sorties during the spawning season and the recovery of 4 trucks of marine waste. It demonstrated the viability of engaging fishing communities as active conservation partners rather than adversaries.