Help save the last Greek wooden fishing boats (traditional caiques)

Because of overfishing and stricter EU regulations, life for fishermen is becoming more difficult. Many small‐scale fisherman do not continue and only the big boats survive ‐ large trawlers which suck the sea empty. The EU pays high sums of money for fishing boats to be withdrawn, and the small‐scale fishermen choose the money to start a new life or to buy a new plastic boat which needs little maintenance.

Over the last 20 years more than 12,500 beautiful handmade wooden caiques ‐ the traditional old Greek fishing boats ‐ have been destroyed, according to the Traditional Boat Association of Greece (Ελληνικός Συνδεσμός Παραδοσιακών Σκαφών).

There are only a few of these special boats left. In other European countries simillar things are happening, but there, at least, some boats are saved in museums, or used for tourism. The Greek government says it cannot afford to check if boats are really being used for tourist trips or if they just continue fishing, so they insist on the boats being destroyed ‐ to save money. This is such a sad and pointless waste ‐ it doesn't even help the overfishing situation. What is worse is that hardly anyone knows how to build these beautiful caiques any more.

Greek tourism depends on many images of how visitors imagine Greece to be ‐ traditional Greek fishing boats bobbing on the water in picturesque little fishing ports is one of them. The Greek government must either find a way to check if the boats are being used for other purposes such as tourism, or simply learn to trust their own people a little more. All that is needed to save these beautiful boats is the political will to stop the senseless destruction. Sign this petition and help to stop the destruction of the last traditional Greek fishing caiques and help to protect an important part of Greece's cultural heritage.

References:
GREEK REPORTER (English)
Traditional Boats Destroyed According to European Directive
http://greece.greekreporter.com/2011/08/10/traditional‐boats‐destroyed‐according‐to‐european‐directive/

PAROS LIFE & NAXOS LIFE (English)
Scrapping Tradition
http://paroslife.parosweb.com/story.html?story=3101&issue=149

NAXOS TIMES (Greek)
http://www.naxostimes.gr/koinonia/13955‐egklima‐kata‐tis‐naftikis‐mas‐paradosis‐katastrefontai‐ta‐paradosiaka‐kaikia

ETHNOS (Greek)
Τα παλιά ξύλινα σκαριά πεθαίνουν στη στεριά
http://www.ethnos.gr/article.asp?catid=22768&subid=2&pubid=63618375

ΕΦΗΜΕΡΙΔΑ ΒΟΡΕΙΕΣ ΣΠΟΡΑΔΕΣ
http://efimerida‐sporades.blogspot.gr/2013/03/blog‐post_5987.html

Visserijnieuws (Dutch)
Vissers zien toe bij de sloop van kaïkia
http://visserijnieuws.punt.nl/?id=542024&r=1

Ελληνικός Συνδεσμός Παραδοσιακών Σκαφών
Traditional Boat Association of Greece
http://traditionalboats.gr
President of the Association: Nikos Kavalieros, tel 210‐428‐2148, 210‐422‐0820, 210‐441‐2085, email: info@traditionalboats.gr