Stavros Sarikas, a member of the fishing community an important part of the “Fishing For Litter” project, talks about his professional story and his participation in the project. He sails in the Thracian Sea and Samothrace.

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

SS: I have been a fisherman for the last 12 years. Although my father and his siblings started the business in 2006, that’s why the name of the boat is “THREE SIBLINGS”.

R: Could you describe a day in the sea?

SS: We leave the port with the boat/fishing vessel/trawler, usually for a two day trip. Our goal/purpose is to find the best fish and bring it to the public, but always having in mind to protect the sea/ with great care of the sea.

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

SS: I would say that the whole situation has been improved compared to the past, as both fishing vessels/trawlers and tourist vessels have reduced their own waste. Of course, today fishermen are more informed and act in a more friendly way in the environment in which they work.

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

SS: In the past we used to remove electrical appliances that were possibly thrown by/disposed of large commercial ships moving towards the Bosphorus Straits.

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

SS: I remember my whole life in the sea, I grew up in the sea, I achieved everything thanks to it, and so did my family. Whatever job I would choose, it would be close to it. Protecting the sea is really important to me.

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

SS: I would like to invite people to come closer to us, to know our job and to respect us, to understand that we are not the ones who destroy the sea, but the ones who protect it for livelihood reasons too.

 
iSea’s «Fishing For Litter» project 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 project, the professional fishers who actively support the effort of collecting and recording marine litter from the sea all over the country, talk about the nature of their job and share their experience and thoughts about the project.

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