The Story of Amorgorama
The starting point
The story of AMORGORAMA begins with a simple yet deeply troubling realization: the sea that had sustained Amorgos for generations could no longer support its people in the same way. From the early 2010s, the island’s professional fishers saw fish stocks declining, costs increasing, and their profession becoming increasingly precarious. At the same time, the northern coasts of Amorgos—often inaccessible by land—were filling up after the winter winds with large quantities of waste and plastics.
Another development that concerned the fishers was the move against the Greek tradition and culture of fishing, which, under the pretext of overfishing in the Mediterranean, subsidizes fishers to destroy their boats (the traditional Greek fishing vessels). As a result, one of the goals of the Professional Fishing Association of Amorgos became the protection of the cultural heritage of small-scale coastal fishing, while also responding to the current situation of overfishing and marine pollution in a more thoughtful way—drawing on their knowledge of the sea, the topography, and their boats, in order to adapt to an ever-changing environment that shapes a large part of life on the country’s islands.
The decision to change
Faced with this reality, the fishers did not limit themselves to protest. They recognized that if nothing changed fundamentally, the first to bear the cost would be themselves: their families, their profession, local fishing knowledge, and ultimately the island’s very connection to the sea. Through discussions, collective decisions, and internal consensus, a plan began to take shape—one that did not see protection as a threat, but as a condition for survival.
A decisive role in the maturation of this vision was played by the Association’s outward-looking approach, and in particular its participation, in 2013, in the 2nd conference of the Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE) network in Santiago de Compostela. There, the fishers of Amorgos realized that the challenges they faced were not a local and isolated phenomenon, but part of a broader crisis affecting many small coastal fishing communities across Europe. At the same time, they came into contact with examples, tools, and ways of thinking that, for the first time, opened up the possibility of a different future for Amorgos.
In the years that followed, the fishers closely monitored other developments across the wider Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean region, such as marine protection efforts in Gökova Bay in Turkey. Observing these examples reinforced the belief that community-led marine protection was not an abstract idea, but a practical pathway from which Amorgos could draw inspiration.
The fishers’ plan
The core of the plan was fourfold. First, the voluntary cessation of fishing during April and May, a critical spawning period for key commercial species. Second, the use of this period for cleaning remote coastlines, with fishers themselves using their boats to access areas that would otherwise remain uncleaned. Third, the gradual transition to more selective fishing gear, with larger hooks and larger mesh sizes in nets, in order to avoid catching juvenile fish. And fourth, the creation of fisheries restricted and no-take areas, to support the reproduction and recovery of fish populations.
More than an initiative
What made AMORGORAMA stand out from the beginning was that it was not merely an environmental action or a symbolic clean-up campaign. It was a comprehensive, locally developed management plan, born from the fishing community itself, addressing at once ecological restoration, social cohesion, economic sustainability, and institutional change. It was precisely this multifaceted nature of the initiative that encouraged the collaboration and support of organizations such as the Cyclades Preservation Fund (CPF), and later the Blue Marine Foundation (BMF), as well as scientists and institutional stakeholders who recognized its seriousness and potential.
Building trust
A defining element in the trajectory of the initiative has been—and continues to be—the building of trust: first among the fishers themselves, who have consistently acted collectively, and then between the fishers and their partners. This collaboration was not based solely on funding or technical support, but on a long process of co-creation, dialogue, and shared decision-making. The fishers brought their knowledge of place and sea; scientists contributed methodology and evidence; organizations and supporters helped with outreach, networking, communication, and engagement with public authorities.
From idea to institutionalization
The signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation in 2022 and the completion of the fisheries study by the Agricultural University of Athens in 2023 marked decisive steps in the transition from a local initiative to institutional recognition. The study identified critical habitats and proposed specific Fisheries Restricted Areas (FRAs), along with a broader framework of management, monitoring, and enforcement measures. In this way, the fishers’ vision gained the scientific grounding required to advance formally.
The culmination of this process came in August 2025, when the relevant Presidential Decree was published and the four Fisheries Restricted Areas (FRAs) in Amorgos were officially established. With this development, AMORGORAMA is no longer just a promising example or a local demand. It is tangible proof that marine protection can be designed through community initiative, supported by science and partnerships, and translated into concrete public policy.
An ongoing story
Ultimately, the story of AMORGORAMA is the story of a community that refused to accept environmental and economic decline as inevitable. It is the story of people who chose to protect the sea not by distancing themselves from it, but precisely because their lives are deeply intertwined with it. At the same time, it is a story that shows how local, collective action—when accompanied by persistence, trust-building, collaboration, and a clear vision—can reshape the way we understand marine conservation in Greece and beyond.