Grantee/Local Partner: Enaleia
Duration: November 2023 – November 2025
Grant: €12,000 (out of €24,000 in total)
Status: Underway

Responding to a direct request from the fisher’s community in Nea Kios (situated on the eastern coast of Peloponnese) the AEF reached out to Enaleia to replicate the Mediterranean Clean Up initiative in this part of the Argosaronic. The grant will support the mitigation of the detrimental effects of plastic pollution on marine life, society, and the local economy through the further expansion of the network of used fishing gear collection and transfer stations.  

In coordination with the local authorities, one main collection point is already set up in Nea Kios and two smaller points in Myloi and Kivery. Currently, 20 fishers are actively engaged in delivering end-of-life fishing gear, with plans to expand this number to 30 by the end of 2025. Comprehensive training programs for fishers have been crucial in preventing a significant volume of fishing gear from becoming ghost gear in the marine environment. Tangible results include the collection of 600 kg gear to date with a target of reaching 2,000 kg by project completion.