A parliamentary committee in Greece has approved on first reading a Ministry of Rural Development and Food bill designed to reform the national fisheries sector and modernize the country's decades-old fishing code.
Lawmakers from the ruling New Democracy party voted in favor of the principle of the legislation, while main opposition parties reserved their votes for the upcoming full parliamentary plenary session and the Greek Communist Party voted against it.
The omnibus bill, titled Regulation of the fisheries sector, amendment of the Fishing Code, provisions for Meat Profession Schools, the Register of Farmers and Agricultural Holdings, and other provisions, represents the first major overhaul of Greek fishing legislation in 56 years.
Government defense and opposition criticism
Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Food Athanasios Kavvathas defended the new measures during committee deliberations. Kavvathas said that after 56 years, the proposal constitutes the first substantive legislative intervention, bringing deep structural reforms to modernize the fishing code and address long-standing sector issues. He assured committee members that officials would carefully examine all improvement proposals submitted during hearings.
Opposition political parties condemned the text, characterizing it as a piecemeal and ineffective bill that fails to provide solutions to the chronic problems accumulated across the fishing industry. Opposition lawmakers emphasized the urgent need for a single, comprehensive national plan instead of fragmented legislative changes.
The Hellenic Parliament, Greece's unicameral legislative body in Athens, relies on parliamentary committees to review proposed legislation before bills proceed to a final debate and vote by the full plenary. While New Democracy holds a parliamentary majority, opposition groups including PASOK, the Greek Solution (EL.LY), NIKI, SYRIZA, and Course of Freedom (Plevsi Eleftherias) opted to withhold their final voting position until the plenary debate. The Greek Communist Party (KKE) explicitly declared that it opposes the bill.
Controversy over traditional netting bans
Prior to the vote, extra-parliamentary industry representatives invited to the committee presented proposals, observations, and strong objections to specific provisions in the text. Small and medium-scale fishery representatives focused their primary opposition on a controversial clause that mandates the abolition of the vitzotrata, a traditional coastal beach seine net.
Industry spokespersons accused the government of forcibly eliminating a vital survival tool relied upon by hundreds of small and medium professional fishers without adequate documentation, justification, or supportive measures.
Giorgos Fatouros, president of the board of the National Union of Professional Fishery Shipowners THE MEDITERRANEAN, voiced strong opposition to banning the beach seine. Fatouros said the vitzotrata is a fundamental survival tool for fishers, particularly in coastal areas, and described the decision to eliminate it as illegal, unconstitutional, and contrary to European Union law.
Ioannis Bountoukos, president of the Panhellenic Union of Middle Fisheries Shipowners, criticized what he called piecemeal provisions in the draft law. Bountoukos expressed strong disagreement with the abrupt abolition of gri-gri purse seine vessels and described existing subsidies provided to fishers as mere pittance.
Beach seine netting, locally known as vitzotrata, and purse seine fishing, known as gri-gri, are traditional Mediterranean net-fishing techniques that have operated along Greek coasts for generations. While European Union environmental framework regulations increasingly restrict coastal netting to prevent marine habitat destruction and protect fish stocks, local island and coastal communities remain heavily dependent on these traditional fishing methods for their livelihoods.
Recreational fishing and sector governance
Tensions between professional fishers and recreational anglers also featured prominently during committee hearings. Antonia Vasiliou, president of the Panhellenic Union of Fishery Tourism Professional Fishers, highlighted growing challenges surrounding amateur fishing activity. Vasiliou said her organization is not seeking the elimination of recreational fishing, but demanded a clear distinction between amateur and professional operations alongside strict regulatory oversight and the creation of a formal fishing registry.
Ioannis Athinaios, secretary general of the Union of Coastal Fisheries and Fishing Tourism Shipowners of Greece, acknowledged that legislative intervention is necessary to modernize the fishing code but expressed disappointment with the current draft. Athinaios said the bill fails to meaningfully address the overall sustainability of Greek fisheries, noting that while professional fishing faces restrictions, recreational fishing is expanding without proper control. He argued that regulatory oversight must apply equally to both sectors rather than targeting professional operators alone.
Dimitris Tsianis, president of the Panhellenic Association of Public Ichthyologists, said the bill moves in the right direction overall but noted the need for corrective changes regarding recreational fishing. Tsianis proposed adding a representative from the public ichthyology sector to the National Council of Fishery Policy.
Alkistis-Chrysanthi Parpoura, head of the General Directorate of Fisheries at the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, described the bill as an effort to modernize the fishing code and resolve sector problems while advocating for bolder and more equitable solutions.
Greece possesses the longest coastline in the Mediterranean basin, extending over 13,000 kilometers, and supports one of Europe's largest small-scale coastal fishing fleets. The Ministry of Rural Development and Food oversees marine resources, aquaculture production, and agricultural registries, balancing environmental conservation mandates with the economic survival of coastal communities.
Meat schools and structural reforms
The omnibus bill extends beyond marine fisheries to address agricultural education, cooperative trade, and livestock sectors. Savvas Kesidis, president of the Panhellenic Federation of Butcher Shop Owners, emphasized the importance of the operational framework governing specialized Meat Profession Schools. Kesidis said these training institutions play a critical role, but insisted that operational rules must apply equally to all entities without creating exceptions for private schools, specifically regarding mandatory in-person attendance for students.
Nikolaos Pavlonasios, president of the Panhellenic Young Farmers Union, voiced support for the training school regulations while calling for increased inspections to guarantee proper institutional operation.
Other stakeholders highlighted broader regulatory gaps across the primary sector. Anastasia Roussi, technical consultant for the Association of Fishery Cooperatives of Greek Seas, raised serious concerns regarding fishery cooperatives. Roussi said the bill fails to address cooperative issues substantively and requested that cooperative sales be integrated into itinerant trade regulations.
Nikolaos Kakkavas, president of the Panhellenic Federation of Public Geotechnical Employees, offered a harsh critique of the draft law. Kakkavas stated that the legislation fails to present a comprehensive plan for livestock farmers, agronomists, or aquaculture fish farmers.
Apostolos Touralias, board president of the Hellenic Aquaculture Producers Organization, focused his criticism on the absence of a spatial planning framework for marine farming and fisheries. Touralias emphasized that Greece requires a clear national strategy to resolve long-standing structural problems across the aquaculture industry.
Greece operates state-certified Meat Profession Schools to train professional butchers and meat processing personnel in hygiene, food safety, and trade standards. The proposed legislation also updates the official Register of Farmers and Agricultural Holdings, a central administrative database used by the Hellenic Ministry of Rural Development and Food to verify professional farmer status, manage subsidy distributions, and oversee agricultural commerce.
