PHAROS Fisherman Programme to Raise Awareness Among Santorini Fishers at Aegean Hearth Summit

• September 22, 2026

September 2026

The Santorini Blue Loop Living Lab, part of the PHAROS project, will bring its awareness activities for local fishers to the Aegean Hearth Summit, taking place from 23 to 25 October 2026 on the island of Santorini.

As part of the summit programme, Impact Hub Athens, a PHAROS consortium partner, will host a dedicated awareness session with Santorini fishers in collaboration with the Municipal Port Authority of Thira and local fishermen. The activity forms part of the PHAROS Fisherman programme, which supports knowledge exchange and encourages practical action to reduce marine litter, bycatch, greenhouse-gas emissions and plastic pollution linked to fishing activities.

The session will combine a short theoretical introduction with interactive group exercises, allowing participants to reflect on the environmental challenges affecting the marine environment and explore solutions together.

Interactive workshops with local fishers

The awareness activities will take place on the first day of the summit and will follow a practical, participatory format.

The programme will begin with registration and a welcome, followed by a theoretical introduction to the main topics addressed by the PHAROS Fisherman programme. Participants will then take part in the first workshop, focusing on marine litter.

During the marine litter workshop, participants will work through exercises addressing:

• Litter classification.
• Litter produced on board fishing vessels.
• Marine litter passively collected during fishing activities.

The workshop will conclude with a plenary session, where participants will present their findings and discuss the main sources and impacts of marine litter in the local context.

Addressing bycatch and the fisheries footprint

The second workshop will focus on the wider environmental footprint of fisheries. Through a series of group exercises, Santorini fishers will explore:

• Bycatch and its impacts.
• Greenhouse-gas emissions associated with fishing activities.
• Plastic pollution.

The workshop will provide an opportunity to share experiences, identify common challenges and discuss how improved practices and collective action can contribute to a healthier marine ecosystem.

Exploring PHAROS solutions

The final workshop will introduce participants to relevant PHAROS solutions and encourage them to consider how these approaches can support more sustainable fishing practices.

The session will also include the “Spread the word” exercise, which will focus on communicating the importance of marine protection and sharing practical messages with the wider fishing community and local stakeholders.

The day will close with a plenary discussion, during which participants will present the results of the final workshops, exchange views and reflect on possible next steps. A social gathering with food and drinks will follow the formal programme.

Connecting fishing communities and regeneration

The Santorini Blue Loop Living Lab activities are part of a wider programme at the Aegean Hearth Summit, a 2.5-day gathering focused on wellbeing, landscape and regeneration.

In addition to the Fisherman programme session, the summit will feature beach clean-ups, discussion panels, workshops and hands-on activities at the Plastic Lab. Artistic interventions and ocean-inspired installations will be present throughout the event, highlighting the importance of protecting marine ecosystems and strengthening connections between communities and their surrounding environment.

Through its participation in the summit, PHAROS will support dialogue with local fishers and contribute to a broader discussion on practical, community-based approaches to marine sustainability.

Awareness Activities with Santorini Fishers

Hosted by: Impact Hub Athens, in collaboration with the Municipal Port Authority of Thira and local fishermen
Date: 23 October 2026
Location: Santorini, Greece
Format: Interactive training, group exercises, plenary discussions and networking

Programme

The detailed programme is available in the PHAROS Santorini programme PDF.