Grants
Marine Ecosystems
Wild Catch Only: For Our Seas, For Our Future
€4,950* awarded
Project duration: January 2025 – June 2025
Status: Ongoing
Grantee: Katheti
Co-funded by: The Rauch Foundation
THE CHALLENGE:
Industrial fish farming is a growing environmental threat in Greece, particularly in the Argosaronic Gulf. Open-net farms, primarily for sea bream and sea bass, contribute to pollution, disease spread, and biodiversity loss, endangering vital habitats like Posidonia meadows. Despite these concerns, the industry continues to expand with minimal regulation, while fish farm facilities are set to increase 33 times their current scale in the Argosaronic, further intensifying impact on marine ecosystems.
THE SOLUTION:
Aiming at the preservation of the marine ecosystems and the promotion of sustainable alternatives to open-net fish farms, the Foundation supports Katheti’s Wild Catch Only: For Our Seas, For Our Future campaign. Inspired by international efforts like Off the Table, this initiative is tailored to the Greek context, focusing on sea bream and sea bass – the primary species in fish farming. The goal is to raise awareness about the environmental impacts of these farming practices and advocate for more sustainable solutions. By collaborating with key stakeholders, including chefs and restaurants, the campaign will promote sustainable seafood choices, such as locally caught fish, sardines, or non-fish alternatives. The project will be rolled out in multiple stages, beginning with a pilot phase in the Argosaronic region.
The first stage involves engaging 15-20 restaurants across Poros, Hydra, Spetses, Salamina, and the Peloponnesian coast. Lessons learned will help refine the strategy before expanding to Athens and Thessaloniki in the next phase. Subsequent stages will widen the scope to other affected areas across Greece, with a long-term goal of creating a nationwide movement against open-net fish farming.
THE OUTCOMES:
The project outlines the following milestones:
– Engagement of 15-20 restaurants in the Argosaronic Gulf to commit to removing farmed fish from their menus
– Campaign website launch and adaptation of the Wild Fish materials to effectively target Greek audiences
– Marketing and Media Engagement on a national scale
– Expansion to Additional Regions: Following the pilot phase, the campaign will expand to other parts of Greece, focusing on areas heavily impacted by industrial fish farming.
OUR GRANTEE:
Katheti is a cultural and educational center promoting cultural events, education and sustainable development in Poros, Troizinia, and Methana. Over the past two years the organisation has strengthened its environmental advocacy, particularly against industrial fish farming in the Argosaronic Gulf. An active AKTAIA member, it collaborates with 20 communities and leads the “Mother Sea” campaign, raising awareness about the threats posed by industrial aquaculture at local and national level.
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