Flaws and Insufficiencies in Environmental Impact Assessment for Industrial Aquaculture Development on Island of Poros
“The reality of open net-pen fish farming is that its cost on the environment outweighs any benefit for communities, especially those dependent on nature for tourism such as Poros.”
Eva Douzinas, President, Rauch Foundation
Poros, Greece – October 25th, 2023 – An analysis by independent consultants Poseidon Aquatic Resource Management Ltd. reveals that a 2015 Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA) for aquaculture development on Poros contains significant flaws and insufficiencies. The report was released today by the U.S.-based Rauch Foundation, which funded the analysis, and Poros nonprofit, Katheti. Click here to read the full report.
The SEIA was undertaken by the company AMBIO S.A., as part of an aquaculture application to expand fish farming on Poros. There are currently four fish farms on Poros, but in the early 2010s the Greek government laid out a plan to increase annual aquaculture production from 131,000 to 470,000 tons. Poros is one of 25 areas included in the government’s expansion plan (“the POAY”).
According to the Poseidon report, the SEIA contains significant flaws and insufficiencies and does not fully cover what would be expected in an environmental and social impact assessment study at site level. Poseidon categorizes several elements of the SEIA as “Critical” and “Major” weaknesses.
- Notably, the study seriously misinterprets the MERAMOD model – a widely accepted standard in the Mediterranean for predicting the environmental impact from fish cage farms – a flaw that underestimates the environmental impacts of the farms. While the AMBIO study estimates the predicted level of organic sediments deposited below the cages, it does not provide the legend associated with those estimates. Hence the reader is unaware of the fact that the impact is considered to be Moderate to Severe – both of which are unacceptable levels of environmental impact in the European Union.
- The MERAMOD model also indicates that there are already environmental impacts at one of the existing sites, a fact left out of the SEIA.
- The study does not quantify the number, size or location of additional land-based facilities expected to be constructed. The consultants note, “This is a major omission as it does not take into consideration the necessary land services and infrastructure requirements that are needed to support the expansion, road traffic increase, freshwater requirement, electricity requirement, housing requirement, sewage and water treatment, etc. Without quantification of these facilities and their locations, it is not possible to make an informed judgment on impact on the landscape. The SEIA study does not take into consideration the visual seascape and impact on yachting in the area and the use of sheltered space and bays.” Given the central importance of tourism to the economic livelihood of Poros where almost 80% of the workforce directly or indirectly is engaged in tourism, this is a critical omission.
- Throughout the report, there is no quantification of the use of existing resources or how they will be stressed with the expansion of the farms and the presence of additional staffing. Thus, there are no proposed environmental or social mitigation measures recommended to reduce the negative impact of the proposed expansion of the farms on the island’s current infrastructure.
- Equally critical, the consultants note that the SEIA study shows only limited evidence of stakeholder consultation and no effort to find mutually agreed mitigation measures to reduce social impacts.
Given the close proximity of the proposed fish farms to the local touristic centers, it is especially problematic that no attempts were made by AMBIO to address these potential conflicts. Those who have been opposing the farms for years point out that if the plan is approved, it would expand the four small farms on Poros by 28 times, taking over fully 25% of the island’s coastline and interior. Currently the final Presidential decree is pending. Many island leaders and residents recently voiced their fierce opposition to the plans in a mini documentary, Saving Poros, and during a well-attended gathering on World Ocean’s day.
According to Rauch Foundation President, Eva Douzinas, whose family has lived on Poros for centuries, “The Poseidon analysis of the Poros SEIA is enormously significant in the questions it raises. One has to wonder about the contents of other SEIA reports and whether they, too, left citizens out of the process. The willingness to promote expansion while the analysis shows that these farms will cause severe environmental impact is frankly unconscionable.”
Additional Information:
Complete list of POAY expansion areas
Information and resources on fish farms
Rauch Foundation is a U.S. based family foundation that invests in ideas and organizations that spark and sustain positive systemic change. Building on a long history of providing evidence-based research and data to inform policy, its current work is centered on exploring the systems involved in the financing, sourcing, production and delivery of food. The foundation is interested in how global, national, and regional actions impact the health of communities, economies, and the environment.
Katheti is a non-profit cultural and educational centre serving the people of the Poros, Troizinia and Methana region. Currently, it is focused on protecting the threatened environment of this region. Katheti supports local artisans, entrepreneurs and students, and those seeking to expand their horizons, learn new skills, share knowledge, and celebrate the richness of local culture. Its mission is to galvanize the deep expertise and creativity resident in the local community, and provide additional resources that encourage sustainable growth. ‘Katheti’ is the traditional fishing gear used by generations of local families, made from rectangular pieces of native cork, a weighted line and simple hooks: a symbol of ingenuity and self-sufficiency. The name reflects the adage: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”
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