About Us
“We must defend our land and the environment because we do not own it, we are borrowing it from future generations.”
AKTAIA
Who we are
Aktaia* is a panhellenic alliance comprised of citizen groups, non-profits, scientists, and individuals from over 20 communities across Greece. Together, we stand united in opposition to the drastic proposal to expand industrial fish farming by 24 times along our coasts. What we want is a healthy marine ecosystem, rich in biodiversity and natural regeneration, and resource use in balance with it. Anything else is unsustainable.
We are united by the common problem of the POAY*, which is coming unchecked to our land and sea to change its character.
The POAY is a plan that ignores local communities and the local government. It is a plan that wants to change the character of our beautiful country and transform vast areas of our coastline into a place of fish production on an industrial scale, with major environmental impacts on the marine and terrestrial environment.
*Panhellenic Alliance for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Industrial Fish Farming
Coordinating Committee
(in alphabetical order by Greek name of organization)
- Amvrakikos Gulf – Pavlos Charalambous, Dimitrios Smyris
- Delta Network – Pinios and Tempe – Nikos Rigas, Dimitris Palakas
- Eco School Eco Act – Vassilis Anagnostou, Nikos Ioannou
- Committee of Struggle of the Municipality of Xiromeros, Kalamos – Kastos against the POAY of Echina Islands and Ait/nia – Vassilios Soulas, Elina Makri
- Citizens’ Committee of Aliki (Boeotia) – Iosifidis Prodromos, Koulas Giorgos
- Katheti (Poros) – Eva Douzina, Fay Orfanidou, Elias Papatheodorou
- Movement for the Protection of the Islands – Akis (Gabriel) Papasarantis, Alexis Safner
- Environmental Group of Salamina – Andreas Farmakoris, Sarantia Lebesi
- Cultural Association of Arcadian Village (Municipality of N. Kynouria) – Spyros Apostolopoulos, Panagiotis Karachalios
- SOS Evoikos – Thanasis Biniaris, Elias Karambas
- Hersonissos Methana – Active Citizens – Viki Alexandratou, Kimon Zakkas
Supporting municipalities
(in Greek alphabetical order)

Municipality of Agia

Municipality of Angistri

Municipality of North Kynouria

Municipality of Epidavros

Municipality of Eretria

Municipality of Ermionida

Municipality of Kymi-Aliveri

Municipality of Xiromero

Municipality of Poros

Municipality of Salamina

Municipality of Spetses

Municipality of Troizinia-Methana

Δήμος Αγιάς

Dimos Western Lesvos
Supporting alliances
(in Greek alphabetical order)

Fishing Tourism Association of Greece

Peloponnese Tourism Association

The Tourism Accommodation Federation of Entrepreneurs of the Peloponnese and Kythera

Tourism Accommodation Association of Eastern Arcadia
We represent the following communities (in Greek alphabetical order):
- Amvrakikos
- Argolic Gulf
- Boeotia
- North Kynouria
- Galaxidi
- Western Lesvos
- Evoia
- Corinthia
- Methana
- Naxos
- South Kynouria
- Xiromero, Aitolokarnania
- Poros
- Salamina
- Spetses
- Tempi and Pineios Delta of Larissa Prefecture
- Troizinia
- Fthiotida
- Fokida
Why the name Aktaia?
In ancient Greece, Aktaia was the nymph responsible for the settlement of relations between the sea and the coast, as her name indicates in Greek.
We hereby declare that:
Coastal waters are a priceless natural resource and belong to all.
No single user has the right to use Greek waters to the detriment of others. For thousands of years, Greek seas have been shared in relative harmony by fishers, recreational boaters, sea transportation, commercial shipping, tourism-related businesses, and year-round and seasonal homeowners.
Participation of the municipalities affected by a proposed project and the communities that share coastal waters with the boundaries of the proposed project, are entitled to have a say in the approval process.
Plans of this magnitude -with a significant environmental, social and economic footprint- should have the approval of local and neighboring communities. The opinion of local authorities should be changed from advisory to binding. Tides, currents, winds, and the potential negative impacts of a project do not follow arbitrary municipal boundaries. Any town whose waters, shoreline and property owners have the potential to be harmed by a project in a body of water shared with the “host” community should have standing in the permitting process. The desired solution for fish farms varies across our membership and as a network, we respect the wishes of each community.
Those applying for permits to use Greek seas and release substances into them must be held to the highest possible standards.
The burden of proof that no environmental degradation or economic harm to other users will take place rests squarely with the applicant; it should not be up to the citizens to have to prove that the project is harmful. Any sign of harm should be investigated thoroughly. The state has a responsibility to establish guidelines and make decisions based on best international standards, and sound, up-to-date scientific data.
Artisanal small-scale fishers are a key part of our society and sustainability.
We value traditional small scale autonomous fishers as part of a sustainable fishery management and to prevent the concentration of control of our seas by a few companies. The quality of our food will improve and our relationship with the sea will be restored. The recovery of traditional fisheries will also help to improve labour relations, circulate resources within communities and promote entrepreneurship. We do not support trawling fishing or overfishing of our seas.
Support for sustainable development investments and small scale, regenerative aquaculture of seaweed, bi-valves and other species that do not require to be fed other fish.
There are many ways to support sustainable job growth in our communities and we support investments in a multitude of sectors such as eco-tourism, independent small businesses, and sustainable agriculture. If approved by the community, small-scale aquaculture can also be a sustainable part of an economy. However, carnivorous fish farming of sea bream and sea bass is not sustainable as it requires wild fish for feed which takes food away from developing countries and damages the marine ecosystems where the farms are based. We do not support subsidies or compromises for carnivorous or large-scale industrial fish farming.
The aim is for the recovery of fish stocks over a period of 10 to 15 years and then sustainable management.
Only in this way will traditional fisheries recover on a healthy basis, with autonomous fishermen, and so the concentration of control of the primary sector at sea by a few companies will be prevented. The quality of our food will improve and our relationship with the sea will be restored. The recovery of traditional fisheries will also help to improve labor relations.
The government and the EU should not directly subsidize or indirectly support subsidies of overfishing of the seas with carnivorous fish aquaculture. The government should seek international cooperation to protect and recover large fish (swordfish, tunas, etc.), which move over vast distances, because their populations are collapsing.