Mr Sarantis Pouliezos is one of the fishers that are part of the “Fishing for Litter” program that takes action near to Samos and Patmos island and. One of the youngest members of our program since he is only 28 years old, running his family business along with his father.

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

PS: Fishing is a family matter for us. It started with my grandfather here in Patmos and today we count the third generation of fishermen. Since I was a kid, I lived in the sea and in the trawler called “Gerasimos” just like my father. A second boat is currently being prepared.

R : Could you describe a day in the sea?

PS: We start late in the evening around midnight. Firstly, we check the weather conditions and of course the whole condition of the boat. After, the fishing process starts, and we usually go to the port every second or third day to send our fish to the central market of Piraeus.

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

PS :  Litter has been decreased significantly, but this only happens in the areas we fish frequently. In the places where we don’t fish often or in the places where commercial ships pass by, there is still a big problem that causes a lot of pollution to the marine environment and of course to our fishes.

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

PS: A large tractor tire, I was so impressed about how it ended up in the sea. For sure, someone threw it on purpose, there is no logical explanation for it to be where it was, it didn’t happen by accident.

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

PS: The sea is my whole life. I live more in the sea than on land and in my house. Its’ protection is a duty and obligation for all of us.

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

PS: To respect the marine environment. The sea is not a big garbage can. I would like people to read our interviews and understand the position of the people who live and work in it. We don’t want a dirty house and neither do they.

iSea’s «Fishing For Litter» program is implemented for 6 years in a row, in lots of different areas in Greece, in collaboration with the A C Laskaridis Charitable Foundation. The ambassadors of this program, the professional fishermen who actively support the effort of collecting and recording aquatic litter from the sea all over the country, talk about the nature of their profession and share their experience and thoughts about the program.

We would like to thank all the fishermen who cooperated with us, for a more effective implementation of the “Fishing For Litter” program and give a personal touch to this effort.