24/07/2023
TRANSLATION: "Fish farms: environmental destruction and a risk to public health!
GIORGOS TYRIKOS-ERGAS writes
TRANSLATION from the Greek to English )
Published 7/22/2023
"In the last few days there has been talk about the permission that foreign companies want to get in order to build huge fish farms on the coastline of Skalohori.
They are seeking permission for an investment of pharaonic proportions in one of the richest and most beautiful parts of the island – a part traditionally associated with rich fish stocks hence some names such as "Baloutsos", which means "fishing ground" in Turkish. I want to give my opinion both as a PhD folklorist/anthropologist and as a sport fishing professional. My opinion is both experiential and based on existing literature and research related to fish farming throughout Greece (my sources available to anyone who wants to study them).
When many years ago (25 or so) the people of Skalochorites accepted the possibility of creating fish farms in their area, there were reactions but they were not enough to prevent it F. "After all, this investment heralded the opening of jobs, development, etc. In a few years, the grim reality that follows most fish farms has come. In this dog-like, very hard work the only workers that existed and lived there in huts were workers from Egypt. Honest people in an incredibly difficult situation – only they endured pushed by necessity.
Over time, the only investment in Skalochori and the only dowry was desolation. I have been fishing the area for at least 15 years. Every year the environment around the fish farms gets dirtier. More and more dead. Someone will say: but this happens in all seas, there is a more general problem. No.
Garbage to be burned without permission on the coastline. Dead fish left by the thousands every now and then from disease floating in the scum. Stench. Daily. Tons of plastic, garbage, ropes... And day and night fish food falling into the water. This unnatural thing that has been blamed for incredible pathogens… And worst of all, a dead bottom. Let anyone who dares or questions my words take a dive around the remaining cages. His heart will sink. A vast underwater area as far as the eye can see, drowned in that stench that is the residue of fish food. Dead bodies everywhere, a yellow slime spreads...Skull place. There is nothing there. Nothing lives. The landscape resembles an alien planet. The obligation to be cleared by the company? How many years does it take to revive the place? If he ever resurrects? Skalochori is no exception. The same picture all over the country where there are "cages"...Shared secret, shared responsibility. In recent years, the scientific community has demonstrated the enormous risk posed by fish farms both to the environment and to public health. These are things that are now so studied and known that when I hear the discussion being made from scratch, that is, whether fish farming is harmful or not to a place, I want to do two things. To tie the person who says it to a chair until he reads and studies all the scientific findings or to take him for a swim around "cages" together to brag and see with his own eyes. And imagine the real burden, the chemical, is not visible....But neither is possible. When there are huge interests around it, environment and health go for a walk. Investors you see. And of course it doesn't matter that these investors are Arabs or Muslims or Americans or Turks. A jihadist and a threat to the country is this poor man who comes to Lesvos in a boat with empty pockets trying to escape war, poverty, or save his child. Strict Muslims are investors. The Americans, our friends. It doesn't matter if you have money. And you sell the homeland piece by piece, no problem. Otherwise, Erdogan is also to blame, the "thieves"... Excuse me, I'm paraphrasing. Let's leave all this since they seem irrelevant to the discussion and let's see how they turned out and what "good" the fish farms in Skalochori did over a period of twenty-five years. It's there for an autopsy, don't believe me, let it be! Let them now multiply this "good" about a hundredfold, as much as they want to develop them. Until the Rooster he says! It's not long, guys, come on, we have yards too, what can we do with them!
I know, they will say about new methods, about green developments, about clean fish feed, formulas for God never, about development of the local society, about jobs... How many times have we heard them. How many more times will we believe them and for how long will we see our own home and homeland in ruins? How many more vultures can her carcass hold? For how long, beautiful and strong environments that have nourished fish for generations and that with proper protection are "poor" to provide excellent and sufficient food, recreation, beauty, for how long will we ravage them? Know: everything comes back. Hatred, nemesis... In our health we will find it, but you can never show the cause. Because there is no one cause these realities are ultimately collective. Collectively, the residents of Skalohori through 10 different agencies and organizations strongly oppose this "investment". I want to join them with my own voice.
I ask the local lords who will give an opinion to take very seriously what they are going to do. To study very seriously what the scientific community says at the global level (because we also have the paid opinion of other "scientists", there are those too) and above all to make the effort to see what "development" train is already coming where the cancer of fish farms falls. Fish farming can be done right, but no investor wants to spend huge sums and reduce his profit. For no local community and no environment. Please, we are really talking about our country and our lives here.
We have a fight ahead of us."
Γράφει ο ΓΙΩΡΓΟΣ ΤΥΡΙΚΟΣ-ΕΡΓΑΣ
