Lawlessness threatens to turn heart of Athens into no-go zone

BY TANIA GEORGIOPOULOU
The fish that the restaurateur assures
you was “swimming only this
morning” was most likely flown in
from as far away as Oman, and was
sold at a price way below what the taverna
customer is charged, according
to a survey in Kathimerini that found
that 80 percent of “fresh” fish sold in
Greece is imported.
Anchovies (“gavros”), sardines
(“sardela”) and chub mackerel (“kolios”)
are the fish most likely to be
found in Greek waters. “There are
plenty of European anchovies, although
far fewer sardines these days
in Greek waters,” said Panayiotis
Gerantonis, who has two fish shops
in Athens.
According to the Fishing Development
Corporation (ETANAL), which
manages the Keratsini fishing wharf
that supplies Attica, the Peloponnese
and central Greece, some 119
tons of anchovies were imported
from other European Union member
states last year, compared to the
Greek catch of 3,200 tons. The corresponding
figures for sardines were
287 and 1,800 tons.
The same does not apply for more
expensive fish, particularly in the
summer, when trawlers stay in port
but the demand for fresh fish is
higher. “There isn’t much Greek red
mullet at this time and it sells for
about 40 euros a kilo wholesale,” said
Gerantonis.
Much of the common sea bream
(“fagri”), common pandora (“lithrini”)
and common dentex (“sinagri-
da”) catch comes from Italy and
Spain.
Fishermen at the wharf claim
that only Greek common dentex is
sold in the market, but dentex from
fish farms in Turkey were prominently
displayed at the wharf, and
accordingly labeled. Last year about
7 tons of Greek common dentex
were sold at the Keratsini wharf,
compared to a little more than 106
ATHENSPLUS • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2008
ENVIRONMENT
Foreign-caught seafood
sold at Aegean prices
Market survey suggests about 80 percent of fish at Greek markets is imported
No one will claim responsibility for how fish are labeled once they leave the market. [ANA]
Broader horizons
Fishermen advise trying less
‘fashionable’ fish
tons from third countries.
Apart from fish-farm produce,
there were actually very few “Greek”
fish on sale in Keratsini on the day
Kathimerini visited. Even the silversides
(“atherina”) were from Turkey.
Cod and swordfish and a few gilthead
sea bream were labeled Greek. But no
one will claim responsibility for what
fish are labeled once they leave the
market.
“Once there were 25 fishing
caiques on Spetses and now there isn’t
even one, but the market is filled
with fish – they can’t all be of Greek
origin,” said Michalis Liosis, head of
the fish merchants’ association, who
defended produce from other parts
of the Mediterranean.
“They taste the same as those
caught in Greek waters and arrive
faster (on the market). After all, fish
caught in the Dodecanese arrive in
Athens three days later,” he said.
Fishermen say the solution is to
learn to eat a variety of fish and not
to demand common dentex at any
price, something that often results
in deception on the part of restaurant
owners. Giorgos Katsotourkis, president
of the Southern Aegean Fishermen’s
Association, says they give
away cheaper fish to encourage people
to try something different.
AVOIDING THE PITFALLS
Tips to bear in mind
Simos Beach on Elafonisos could be facing development
Forestry classification has been changed to pave way for construction in an area that is part of the Natura 2000 network
BY YVETTE VARVARESSOU
An application by an Athens lawyer to
build on a 6,600-square-meter plot of
land in a bay on the island of Elafonisos
– part of a protected Natura 2000
region – could be the thin edge of the
wedge for the isle, which is receiving
increasing numbers of holidaymakers
every summer, but which until now has
escaped the kind of intensive development
seen on other Aegean islands.
The land’s original owners had a
grant for the site, which had been classified
as state forest, dating back to the
19th century. The plot, which has already
been cleared of vegetation and
fenced off, takes up a large section of
one side of the bay surrounding the asyet-unspoiled
beach of Simos.
8
This serene bay of extraordinary beauty has so far evaded mass tourism.
The current owner’s first attempt to
have its classification changed by the
forestry service four years ago was unsuccessful,
as the ownership grant was
judged to contain many points that
were not clear.
He then approached a higher authority
within the forestry service, acquired
a certificate stating that the site
was not forestland and thereby acquired
the go-ahead to build.
Meanwhile, according to Skai’s website,
a total 5.7 hectares at Simos are
threatened with construction development
– 3.7 of these have already been
sold and another 2 are for sale. One of
the alleged owners of the land is Haralambos
Liaros, who is head of the is-
Unclear
Forestry authorities can’t seem
to agree on legality
land’s municipal council. He told Skai
that the purchaser of the abovementioned
plot was planning to build
“one, two or three little houses for himself
and his family.”
•European sea bass (“lavraki”) from
Mesolongi is considered one of the best.
• In recent years, there has been an
increase in the number of pelagic
gilthead sea bream (“tsipoura”).
Fishermen say these are fish that have
escaped from fish farms, where these
fish account for 90 percent of all
produce. The rest include European
sea bass, common dentex, common
pandora, common sea bream and
white sea bream (“sargos”).
• Greek sole is rare and quite small, so
most on the market is imported. Those
in the know prefer sole from Stylida.
•If the picarel (“marida”) you eat tastes
bitter, then it is most likely small bogue
(“gopa”). The fishing season for marida
does not begin until October 1.
• Around 60 percent of the silverside
(“atherina”) sold in Greece is
imported, but a large percentage is
also farmed in lakes.
• You can tell if a lobster is fresh if the
membrane connecting the legs to the
body is white.
• If sardines, large chub mackerel and
mackerel are big, they are imported.
Fishing bans
• Seine vessels may not fish between
December 15 and February 28 when
the main species of fish they catch
(sardines, white sea bream, anchovy
and chub mackerel) are reproducing.
• Trawlers may not fish between May
30 and the end of September to allow
the younger fish to grow.
• Lobsters and related species may not
be caught between August 1 and the
end of November. Any sold during that
time are therefore either imported or
illegally caught.
• Sea urchins may not be collected at
any time under any circumstances.
• The European Union bans the fishing
of fry – young, recently hatched fish.
• Smaller fish (the size depends on the
species, for which a specific minimum
size is set) may not be caught.
There is only one village on the island,
which is near the coast of the Peloponnese,
but holiday villas are springing
up near its sandy beaches, some of
the most beautiful in Greece, backed
by sand dunes covered with cedar trees.
Aegean islands with a longer history
of tourism have long gone the way
of intensive construction, with about
500 new building permits issued every
year on Paros, 300 on Santorini and
Naxos, 250 on Kea and Andros and 100-
150 on Syros, Myconos and Tinos.
Building authorities in the Cyclades told
Kathimerini that the current high demand
would only stop when the islands
lose their popularity, something that
is certain to follow if the relentless construction
fever continues at its current
pace.