On the third and final day of Elafonisos Eco Week, we focused on sustainable tourism, reinforcing our commitment to making Elafonisos a model for responsible travel and ecological resilience.
Paraskevi Karachle, Research Director Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), kicked off the day by sharing how a survey initiative emerged from a conversation with Enrico Toja, who wanted to understand what Greek island mayors knew about lionfish. This revealed a significant gap in information dissemination, as even a Greek official admitted to learning about the species from external sources rather than local research.
To address this, Paraskevi Karachle and her team created a short survey for mayors, port authorities, and fisheries departments. They received 86 replies, mainly from fisheries departments, but only 26 responses from mayors, roughly 10%. The survey showed that most lionfish caught were discarded, about a third of respondents had tried eating lionfish, and many more were open to it. However, some mayors were unaware of lionfish presence in areas confirmed by scientists, while in places like Limnos, the mayor claimed lionfish were present, but no data supported this.
Paraskevi Karachle emphasized the importance of bridging the communication gap between science and governance, especially since early detection is key to managing invasive species.
Looking ahead, the team identified three funding priorities:
- Scientific Research to improve monitoring.
- Industry Collaboration for lionfish commercialization.
- Education and Stakeholder
- Engagement to raise awareness.
Paraskevi Karachle also introduced the idea of pursuing EU funding to establish a Living Lab in Elafonisos, supported by ELKETE, to test community-based invasive species management.