As stocks deplete, Greek fishermen send boats to scrap

As stocks deplete, Greek fishermen send boats to scrap

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Panagiotis Pagonis (left) sits on the deck of his fishing boat off Asprovalta in northern Greece, grimacing at another empty catch. "It's all gone to hell," the 72-year-old mutters as the early glimmer of dawn lights up the waters.

Ten days later, he looks on as the mechanical arm of a bulldozer rips through his vessel, the Katerina, crushing a lifetime of memories. He has been at sea since he was a child. But the scrap yard takes just minutes.

. Asprovalta, Greece. Reuters/Alexandros Avramidis
A part of Pagonis' destroyed fishing boat "Katerina."

Hundreds of fishermen like him are turning in their boats and their licences, partly because catches are down, partly because the EU and the Greek government are offering them cash to leave the trade, under a scheme to protect fish stocks.

Europe's environment agency says those stocks have reached a critical level in the Mediterranean, with serious implications for the people living on its shores who have found their food there for centuries.

. Asprovalta, Greece. Reuters/Alexandros Avramidis
A fishing net from Pagonis' boat "Katerina", stretches out to sea.

Pagonis says the catch has fallen by 50 percent in recent years, a repercussion he believes of over-fishing, lack of regulation and pollution. That, together with higher running costs for his boat, forced his hand.

. Asprovalta, Greece. Reuters/Alexandros Avramidis
Karapetsas tries to release a fish from a net.

I have been doing this job for 67 years. I have travelled to practically all of Greece, and now, I have reached my limitations," he says.

"I feel sad, I didn’t want it to end this way.”

. Sarti, Greece. Reuters/Alexandros Avramidis
"I am feeling like I’ve been stabbed with a knife," Ioannis Loukakis said as he sat next to his destroyed boat, "it is as if a human is dying."

Squeezed by an economic crisis which has sapped salaries and pensions and left a fifth of adult Greeks jobless, many fishermen have found the compensation too tempting to ignore.

Payments range from 6,000 to 260,000 euros ($7,000 to $302,500), depending on the size of the boat.

. Stavros, Greece. Reuters/Alexandros Avramidis
A crane destroys Theodoros Karagiannis' fishing boat, "Agios Theodoros."

People can simply turn in their licences and find something else to do with their vessel. But to get the full payment, they have to take their boat to the scrap yard.

"This is the option chosen mainly by the fishermen. While there is an option to switch its use, from a fishing vessel to a tourist or passenger vessel, there is a reduced subsidy," an agriculture ministry official said.

. Ierissos, Greece. Reuters/Alexandros Avramidis
Dimitris Ioannou, 30, works on a wooden tourist boat at his family's traditional shipyard.

It has had a knock-on effect on traditional shipbuilders.

"They want to stop (over) fishing to protect the sea. But destroying boats will destroy us as well. So I think they are not doing something right," said shipbuilder Yannis Prasinos.

. Stavros, Greece. Reuters/Alexandros Avramidis
Didonis stands onboard his boat, "Panagiotis," two days before it is destroyed.

It is a painful process for Stelios Didonis, another fisherman giving up his boat at the scrap yard.

"The sea is my entire life," the 48-year-old says. He is looking forward to resting for a month, tired from getting up at 4.00 a.m. for 30 years. But he is not sure what he will do after that.

"I will think about it and see, I will do something, but whatever it is, it will be something that has to do with the sea, I cannot stay away from the sea."

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Slideshow

A fishing boat sails near the shores of Asprovalta.
. Asprovalta, Greece. Reuters/Alexandros Avramidis

A fishing boat sails near the shores of Asprovalta.

Dimitris Karapetsas, 67, fishes onboard Panagiotis Pagonis' boat "Katerina" off the shores of Asprovalta.
. Asprovalta, Greece. Reuters/Alexandros Avramidis

Dimitris Karapetsas, 67, fishes onboard Panagiotis Pagonis' boat "Katerina" off the shores of Asprovalta.

Shrimps are caught on Pagonis' boat "Katerina."
. Asprovalta, Greece. Reuters/Alexandros Avramidis

Shrimps are caught on Pagonis' boat "Katerina."

Karapetsas fishes onboard Pagonis' boat "Katerina."
. Asprovalta, Greece. Reuters/Alexandros Avramidis

Karapetsas fishes onboard Pagonis' boat "Katerina."

Didonis stands onboard his boat "Panagiotis."
. Stavros, Greece. Reuters/Alexandros Avramidis

Didonis stands onboard his boat "Panagiotis."

The steering wheel of Ioannis Loukakis' fishing boat "Smaragdi."
. Sarti, Greece. Reuters/Alexandros Avramidis

The steering wheel of Ioannis Loukakis' fishing boat "Smaragdi."

A worker kneels under Didonis' fishing boat "Panagiotis" before it is sent for destruction.
. Stavros, Greece. Reuters/Alexandros Avramidis

A worker kneels under Didonis' fishing boat "Panagiotis" before it is sent for destruction.

A flock of sheep pass by Didonis' fishing boat "Panagiotis", as it is sent for destruction.
. Stavros, Greece. Reuters/Alexandros Avramidis

A flock of sheep pass by Didonis' fishing boat "Panagiotis", as it is sent for destruction.

Pagonis pets a dog while sitting with friends.
. Greece. Reuters

Pagonis pets a dog while sitting with friends.

A boat waits to be destroyed at the shores of the port town of Ierissos.
. Ierissos, Greece. Reuters/Alexandros Avramidis

A boat waits to be destroyed at the shores of the port town of Ierissos.

A crane destroys Karagiannis' fishing boat "Agios Theodoros."
. Greece, Greece. Reuters/Alexandros Avramidis

A crane destroys Karagiannis' fishing boat "Agios Theodoros."

Karagiannis carries a piece of his destroyed fishing boat.
. Stavros, Greece. Reuters/Alexandros Avramidis

Karagiannis carries a piece of his destroyed fishing boat.

A boat under construction sits by the sea at Nikos Glannakis' traditional shipyard.
. Greece. Reuters

A boat under construction sits by the sea at Nikos Glannakis' traditional shipyard.

Wood stands in a traditional shipyard.
. Stavros, Greece. Reuters/Alexandros Avramidis

Wood stands in a traditional shipyard.

Panagiotis Ioannou cuts wood at his shipyard.
. Ierissos, Greece. Reuters/Alexandros Avramidis

Panagiotis Ioannou cuts wood at his shipyard.

The sea is seen through a widow at a traditional shipyard.
. Ierissos, Greece. Reuters/Alexandros Avramidis

The sea is seen through a widow at a traditional shipyard.