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The ghost farms choking Greece's coastline

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Adam Baheej Adada
December 19, 2025

Many of the giant rings dotting Greece's coastline are ghost farms, abandoned infrastructure poisoning the local waters and economy. Now, a Greek NGO is trying to figure out how to get them out.

Abandoned fish farms, known as ghost farms, are polluting Greece's coastline with plastic debris and microplastics. These massive structures, once used for sea bass and bream, break down over time, releasing styrofoam and trapping marine life. Activists like Healthy Seas and Ozon face legal hurdles and high costs to clean them up. With Greece planning a major aquaculture expansion, experts warn the problem could worsen without stricter enforcement and sustainable practices.

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