Training Fishers on sharks and rays bycatch handling
THE CHALLENGE
AEF supported iSea to deliver a hands-on, practice-oriented workshop model designed specifically for professional fishers in Spetses and N. Kios respectively.
The workshops were structured around three core components:
- Ecological grounding – Participants were introduced to the ecological role of sharks and rays as apex and meso-predators, with a clear explanation of how their decline disrupts marine food webs and affects fisheries productivity.
- Legal clarity – Trainers presented the European and national protection framework in simple, operational terms, clarifying which species are protected and what compliance requires during real fishing operations.
- Applied handling practice – Using realistic models and fishing gear simulations, fishers practiced safe disentanglement, handling and release techniques under conditions mirroring actual onboard scenarios. Emphasis was placed on minimizing stress, reducing injury, and increasing post-release survival rates.
Each participant received FAO handling manuals, species identification charts and concise good-practice factsheets, ensuring that the knowledge gained could be directly applied at sea.
The methodology prioritised peer discussion, real-case problem solving and profession-relevant learning, transforming conservation guidance into practical seamanship skills.
THE PROJECT
AEF supported iSea to deliver a hands-on, practice-oriented workshop model designed specifically for professional fishers in Spetses and N. Kios respectively.
The workshops were structured around three core components:
- Ecological grounding – Participants were introduced to the ecological role of sharks and rays as apex and meso-predators, with a clear explanation of how their decline disrupts marine food webs and affects fisheries productivity.
- Legal clarity – Trainers presented the European and national protection framework in simple, operational terms, clarifying which species are protected and what compliance requires during real fishing operations.
- Applied handling practice – Using realistic models and fishing gear simulations, fishers practiced safe disentanglement, handling and release techniques under conditions mirroring actual onboard scenarios. Emphasis was placed on minimizing stress, reducing injury, and increasing post-release survival rates.
Each participant received FAO handling manuals, species identification charts and concise good-practice factsheets, ensuring that the knowledge gained could be directly applied at sea.
The methodology prioritised peer discussion, real-case problem solving and profession-relevant learning, transforming conservation guidance into practical seamanship skills.
OUTCOMES
- 2 targeted workshops delivered in Spetses and Nea Kios, key fishing hubs in the Argolic Gulf.
- 28 professional fishers trained (13 in Spetses, 15 in Nea Kios), strengthening live-release capacity within active fishing communities.
- 100% of participants would recommend the training to colleagues, increasing peer-to-peer knowledge transfer potential.
- >90% reported they are very likely to apply safe-release techniques during future bycatch incidents.
- 100% (Spetses) and 92% (Nea Kios) found the training clear and comprehensible, confirming operational relevance.
- Improved identification and safe-release practices reduce bycatch mortality of protected sharks and rays, supporting trophic balance and long-term ecosystem resilience in the Argolic Gulf.
DELIVERABLES
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