Kalymnos Municipal Council is calling for immediate fuel support and lasting measures to safeguard commercial fishing, following the unanimous adoption of a resolution addressed to the Greek authorities.
Kalymnos Municipal Council unanimously backed the island’s professional fishermen on 6 October 2026, approving a resolution containing ten demands to address the problems threatening the sector’s viability.
Decision 105/2026 was adopted through an urgent meeting conducted by circulation. Introducing the proposal, Council President Dimitris Marangos stressed the need for practical support for fishermen, whose work forms an important part of the island’s economy and community life.
The resolution places high fuel costs at the centre of the problem. According to the Council, these costs have sharply increased the operating expenses of fishing vessels. It also points to recent nationwide protests as evidence that the pressures affect the profession as a whole.
The Council calls for immediate, substantial support towards marine diesel costs, alongside a stable mechanism to reimburse or subsidise part of fishermen’s energy expenses, reducing their dependence on occasional relief measures.
It also seeks specific support for island fisheries, where operating costs are higher and alternative employment opportunities are limited. Particular attention is given to remote Aegean islands, where fishing helps sustain local populations and social cohesion.
Other demands include effective enforcement against illegal fishing and unfair practices, as well as stronger measures to address the effects of climate change and the spread of non-native species on fish stocks and fishermen’s incomes.
The resolution also calls for less red tape and simpler administrative procedures, together with the use of European and national funding to improve vessel safety, modernisation and energy efficiency.
Completing the ten demands are calls for immediate dialogue between the Ministry of Rural Development and Food and representatives of fishermen from Kalymnos and other island communities, and for a dedicated support framework based on long-term planning.
The Council argues that commercial fishing should be recognised as an activity of strategic importance to Greece’s islands. The Municipality of Kalymnos pledges to provide institutional backing and forward the fishermen’s demands to the relevant ministries and authorities.
