Over 500,000 illegal octopus traps found on the seabed of the Thracian Sea

The ship retrieved a total of 34,546 illegal plastic traps and 288 kilometers of rope, releasing approximately 1,500 octopuses back into the Thracian Sea and the Thermaic Gulf.

According to Valia Stefanoudaki, head of Sea Shepherd Greece, this “catch” was collected over 41 days from marine areas off Karaağaç (Porto Lagos), Dedeağaç (Alexandroupolis), Kavala, Semadirek (Samothraki), Thasos, Katerini, and Selanik (Thessaloniki).

“From July 1 to September 30, fish traps are banned because it is the octopus breeding season. Any traps in the water must be removed since they cannot remain permanently submerged, especially at depths greater than 10 meters. However, we encountered a completely different reality, with thousands of traps, many containing octopuses that had already laid eggs,” Stefanoudaki explained.

She estimated that in the Thracian Sea alone, there may be more than 500,000 illegal traps on the seabed, causing severe damage to the ecosystem and contributing significantly to plastic pollution.

“To be legal, the traps should display the owner’s license number and be purpose-made. Instead, what we mostly find are makeshift traps, which dominate the waters,” Stefanoudaki added.