In 2022 we recovered a record number of 7,672 illegal octopus traps and freed hundreds of octopuses, a record that stands to this day. In the following years, we have seen the number of confiscated traps go down because fishermen are complying with the regulations, out of fear of having their illegal gear confiscated.

Last year we moved our ship the Conrad to Greece to find out more about the extent of illegal octopus fishing in Northern Greece. In just 17 days, our crew worked around the clock to retrieve 6,500 traps and again freeing hundreds of octopuses, almost breaking the record from Tuscany.

This year we decided to return to Northern Greece at full strength with our ship, the Sea Eagle. In cooperation with and following the instructions of the Greek Coastguard, we set sail to map the area. Equipped with a winch and enough deck space to store the illegal traps, we started our campaign on July 4th, aiming to break the record and free as many octopuses as possible, eventually replicating the effect we saw in Italy on illegal fishing. Our end goal is to remove all of the traps. 

The Sea Eagle will be recovering traps for 75 days, and the numbers so far have been beyond our wildest expectations.

In just the first four days at sea, our crew recovered 4,650 traps and freed dozens of octopuses. Octopus fishing is prohibited in Greek waters from July to September so anything our crew finds is by definition illegal.

I was fortunate to be on board during the first two days and was shocked to see the vast number of traps scattered across the sea floor; everywhere we could see, there were buoys marking the lines. Our crew has become quite familiar with this operation, but what I saw these first days blew my mind. Working for 10 hours straight, they tirelessly pulled in trap after trap, dismantling them and freeing wildlife. 

There is little more rewarding than ridding the sea of illegal fishing gear, taking gear that is a source of pollution and freeing some of the most interesting and loved creatures from traps designed to kill them.

When our ships come into port at night –  the decks are covered in bags full of illegal fishing gear, the crew tired but satisfied from yet another highly impactful day –  it shows what effect this work will have on the octopus populations in Greece. 

This campaign will break all previous records; we estimate that we will retrieve tens of thousands of traps. The problem is enormous, and our work has never been more crucial. But we know that with the help of our supporters and octopus lovers around the world, we can replicate our success in Italy in Greece as well. We will not stop until the problem is resolved and the octopus population recovers all over the Mediterranean Sea.

Nothing beats the feeling of removing these deadly traps and releasing the octopus back into the sea. We will be sharing our updates from Greece over the coming months.