Mr Alexandros Melekos is of the fishers that are part of the “Fishing for Litter” program that takes action in the Central Aegean near to Chios island.

R: How many years have you worked as a fisheran? How did your occupation with fishing begin?

AM:  I’ve been working as a fisherman since 1991. At that time, I was 15 years old and it was my father’s job.

R: Could you describe a day in the sea?

ΑΜ: There is monotony in our job, for us it’s the same procedure almost every day. Starting really early in the mornings at 3.00 am, leaving the port, choosing the area that we want to go depends on the season we are fishing. The day goes on like that until the night when we return back to port to give our fishes to the fish market.

 R: What differences do you notice regarding the amount of waste compared to the past?

AM: Obviously today the amount of litter is much more compared to the past. We see a greater amount of waste in the areas that we don’t fish very often, but also in the areas that commercial and passenger ships pass through.

R: What kind of waste you’ve collected has made the biggest impression on you?

AM: A very important, in terms of national heritage, item. It was the Anchor that today adorns the surrounding area at the Central Port Authority of Chios, which according to the National Archaeological Service belonged to the flagship of Kara Ali that was set on fire by Konstantinos Kanaris in retaliation for the massacre in Chios.

R: What does the sea and its protection mean to you?

AM: The sea is a source of life. We live and we exist because of it. If we protect it, we will continue to live, to exist. We owe the sea our existence and we should protect it.

R: What is the message you want to pass along the world?

AM: Many people, especially in Greece, make their living from the sea. It nourishes us, as the older people here on the island used to say. If we don’t protect it then many of us will be unemployed  and all of us will stop enjoying it in the summers.