Yesterday morning, part of our team had the pleasure of accompanying our friend Matteo Cavescion a lionfish fishing trip. Matteo, a passionate freediver, practices the ancient fishing technique of breath-hold diving without scuba gear, which dates back to Greece in the 5th century BC.
With the weather around 20 degrees and the water temperature at 17 degrees, we set off from the turquoise waters of Panagia Beach and were able to see the Agio Patiapio (Saint Patapio) Church from the boat.
While supervising Matteo, we were not surprised when he caught 12 lionfish in less than 40 minutes. This made us reflect on the number of lionfish that Elafonisos fishermen could catch using appropriate methods, nets, and equipment. One of the intentions of Elafonisos Eco is to educate fishermen so they can integrate lionfish into their economic activities, keeping in mind that fishing is the main economic activity on Elafonisos.
Furthermore, in Elafonisos Eco we believe that incorporating the consumption of lionfish into Greek culture can save the Mediterranean while improving the local fish offer. If you want to know more about the lionfish situation, you can check out the article on our website about the lionfish.
From the 12 fishes caught, we took four to prepare in our kitchen with the same recipes created in our documentary (watch it here) Lionfish are highly nutritious and ideal to include in a healthy lifestyle.
Elafonisos Eco is a team of passionate individuals committed to preserving the environment while promoting sustainable practices. With our small lionfish fishing adventure, we aim to raise awareness about the importance of incorporating environmentally friendly practices into our daily lives.