Author: Sophia Schultz

There’s news from our amazing, always active Greek Chapter. As you know if you’ve been following this project, commercial vessels continue to anchor in Vatika Bay, endangering the ruins of the unique Bronze Age city that lies in shallow waters just off the beach. Using apps as well as visual observation (because sometimes these ships turn off their locator, which is illegal, and makes them invisible on the apps), we have been stringently documenting the presence of these vessels. Then, we researched the companies that own them. Most of these have great websites that explain what socially responsible companies they are, concerned about the environment and determined to prevent their ships from causing any harm or damage. So we thought: let’s take them at their word. Let’s assume the best! Maybe they just don’t know that their ships are anchoring here, and maybe they are unaware of the cultural treasure — plus the sensitive marine ecology and the nesting turtles – that they are putting at risk.

Read more here.

We want to give these corporations the benefit of the doubt. After all, Pavlopetri wasn’t well known before we started our awareness campaigns and annual Watch Days. Only recently and because of our efforts, has it been added to the official marine maps. So we are approaching the CEOs and decision-makers with the genuine belief that they might not have heard about the ancient submerged ruins we’re trying to protect.

Letters are being physically sent as well as emailed, to make sure they are received. We started in November 2018 and have sent over 30 letters so far. And now, we’ve received our first reply.

Prime Marine Management sent a very nice response, which reads in part:

“First, allow us to commend you on your efforts and please take into consideration that we, as a company, are prepared to do the best we can towards the preservation of the environment. We have been awarded the “Green4Sea Tanker Operator” award for 2018…”

They explained that the type of vessels they manage (gas carriers) are not permitted in the nearby port, and that this is the reason why they sometimes enter Vatika Bay instead. They said that on those occasions, they stay for only a few hours, do not engage in any activities that cold be damaging such as ballasting or deballasting or repairs, and usually don’t even cast anchor. Nonetheless, they proposed that they would take further action on behalf of Pavlopetri:

“What we intend to do in order to assuage your concerns is to press Kalamata Port to reconsider their position on gas carriers and to do the utmost so as not to anchor at Vatika Bay, but to drift at all times, if possible.”

The letter came from George Kouleris, Operations Director, and we take this as quite a positive response. Hoping for such from the other companies as well.

There is much to learn about maritime history from future excavations at Pavlopetri, which makes this an issue that a socially-engaged ship company may love to get involved in.

We have a fairly comprehensive list of all the ships who have meandered into our waters – their IMO number, name, flag, and more.

In the Gallery below, please find a pie chart that shows who we have seen most frequently as of November 2018. See also sample letters.

We will make sure to keep you in the loop here and on social media.

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Video Explaining What the Big Anchors Do

Gallery