Greece has the largest number of fishing boats in the EU which is mainly due to the numerous individual fishermen. But by European standards, the catches are rather low.



The EU’s entire fleet is too large compared to the available amount of fish that can be caught in European waters. One of the central elements of the Common Fisheries Policy was the reduction and rejuvenation of the fleet.



The self disarmament of national fleets was a key element of the European fisheries policy. The EU developed programmes and put money at their disposal. The implementation was determined by each country. The Greek government developed incentives for handing over fishing licenses (mainly licenses for amateur fishing) and at the same time fishermen had to destroy their boats. Meanwhile this incentives has been stopped.



As a result, thousands of boats have been destroyed since the 1990s, mainly the traditional wooden boats owned by individual fishermen. The reality is that the Greek bureaucracy is responsible for the destruction of traditional boats and a part of the national identity.

DESTRUCTION