Archipelagos, Institute of Marine & Environmental Research of Aegean Sea, is making decisive steps for the immediate implementation of measures for sustainable maritime standards by signing a memorandum of co-operation with the maritime company "Kallisti Ferries" takes action for the immediate implementation of innovative measures for sustainable navigation.
Aim of this co-operation is to develop and promote a new attitude towards current environmental issues, as an answer to the need to reduce pressure on marine ecosystems, because of high vessel traffic in greek seas without environmental policy.
The areas of co-operation between Kallisti and Archipelagos will be the Guide and the Model for the sustainable development of coastal shipping. This will include several actions and activities. Under the Memorandum of Co-Operation:
• Training Kallisti on issues relevant to the environment and environmental management, with a view to implementing new methods and ideas regarding sustainable development standards, responsible shipping and corporate social responsibility.
• Promoting Archipelagos’s environmental research projects through Kallisti’s activities.
• Bridge crew will be taught how to identify marine species, as they are constantly observing the Aegean Sea. They will record any marine species (whales, dolphins) encountered, contributing to the collection of population data helpful to Archipelagos.
• Archipelagos will provide electronic material promoting environmental awareness and educating passengers, which will be projected using the ship’s electronic facilities. Informative handouts will also be available to passengers.
• Kallisti will recycle waste from passengers and manage the ship’s residuals with greater environmental awareness.
A passenger ship sailing in the Aegean can carry up to 2000 people. This is equivalent to the population of a small town, and often exceeds the population of towns at which Greek ships dock. This implies a daily production of tonnes of refuse and waste water resulting from human activities at sea. Any attempt by the island to manage their residuals is essentially voided when such a passenger ship, travelling daily, ejects its residuals into the sea.
• Kallisti will make use of non-toxic anti-fouling paint and related materials, as well as renewable energy.
• Kallisti will offer and organise free transport of injured animals and birds that will be sent to the islands for rehabilitation and release.
• Kallisti will offer free transport to scientists and researchers that work for Archipelagos.
Decreasing the currently massive consumption of oil is of fundamental importance to this agreement and future initiatives. Even when a ship is stationary in a port its engines are not switched off, consuming hundreds of litres of oil. Although there is not a universal, restrictive law that sets limits on emissions from ships, Kallisti Ferries, through this Memorandum of Co-Operation, is showing a real willingness practise responsible navigation, instal alternative sources of energy in ships and the replace oil with natural gas, thus reducing the consumption of fossil fuels and the emission of pollutants.
We hope that Kallisti Ferries is to be a model for other companies operating in the Greek coastal shipping zone, as it realises the necessity for sustainable management of its fleets, consisting of dozens of ships that navigate the greek seas every day.
Trikiriotis Lefteris