The two-day event in Santorini was certainly special for our organization and the Municipal Port Fund of Thira. Firstly, because we visited the island for the World Environment Day, and secondly, because we had to carry out 7 different activities and operate at various sites in Santorini.
We started with the opening of the ELIN program, which is being implemented in collaboration with our organization and four members of the Blue Municipalities Network. The program focuses on providing anti-pollution stations for fuels and lubricants that end up in the sea. We continued with consultations with local stakeholders for the PepsiCo Hellas program that aims to educate and raise awareness among recreational boat owners and their visitors about waste management on board.
The next day, we proceeded with the deployment of research buoys in the Aegean Sea, in collaboration with the Old Dominion University. The project aims to monitor key parameters related to the quality of seawater using satellite systems. Meanwhile, our teams conducted extensive clean-ups at Vlychada Port and underwater areas in the region to remove abandoned fishing nets. Nearly 400 kilograms of nets were collected from the seafloor, and the whole operation was live-streamed, with a thorough coverage of our work by the French News Agency. At the same time, an educational program was implemented at the port where children, among other things, had the chance to watch the divers’ efforts!
Overall, the above activities were attended by the Secretary General of Ports, Port Policy and Maritime Investments of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Mr. Kyriazopoulos, representatives of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, journalists, and representatives of local authorities. This particular two-day event made Santorini a focal point during the World Environment Day, and brought together a large number of bodies that contributed decisively to the implementation of all these activities. We are extremely grateful for their valuable contribution.
