The responsible deputy mayor Alekos Efstathiou speaks about an important part of Tourism
An afternoon walk in its old port Skiathos was the occasion to get to know him up close “Fishing Tourism” and how much it fascinates the visitors of the beautiful island of Sporades.
Tied to the mullet was “Captain Stavros”, a ten-meter boat, neat and clean and a man hauling his nets from the day’s catch. THE Angelos Constantelias is one of the four fishermen of Skiathos who have been involved in fishing tourism for the last three to four years.
He welcomes us with a smile, while showing great willingness to explain what he and his fellow fishermen offer to tourists.
Angelos Constantelias speaking to APE-MPE explained that “we are all four fishermen who operate professionally and we want to show the world how fishing is done, how fresh fish is cooked and how we can store our fish. Everything starts from the previous afternoon when tourists come and ask us if we can organize the walk and the fishing for them, their family or even their friends. Our appointment is booked for the next day and around 8.30 to 9 morning the beautiful adventure – experience begins”.
As Angelos Constantelias explained, “we usually sail around the island and head to sheltered bays such as Koukounariesthe Kastronisiatowards the Lalaria when there is no north wind, in Archto Chugria or to Unknown of Skopelos and there we cast our nets, while the customers on board swim and enjoy the deep blue waters of the area”.
The process is not easy as we found out, since it takes more than 3 hours until the fishing is finished and the nets are raised, while carelessness and swimming prevail among the group of tourists. They never exceed ten people, and it is better to be a family or a group of friends for more interaction.
And as soon as the nets are raised on deck, the first exclamations of admiration and joy are heard. Then the election begins. There can be anything from bream and sea bass to lobster and squid.
This is followed by the setting of the table by Angel and his wife and the pot or pan depending on the fish caught is put on the fire. The kritama collected from the mountains of Skiathos, the excellent local olive oil and all the herbs are on the table, while the nice Greek music with Zorba lights up the mood and young and old enjoy the moments. Fish soup, fried small fish, larger fish grilled and combined with nice Greek salads, olives of all kinds and plenty of wine created a unique atmosphere and gave unforgettable moments in the middle of the blue sea.
Foreigners love tastes like sea urchins and shellfish that are special, specialties of the Greek seas. Of course, a special permit is needed to catch sea urchins, while at the same time monitoring is done through the VMS system.
As Angelos Constantelias explained to APE-MPE, the people who like the Fishing Tourism they are usually people who are aware of and respect Nature. They know that their choice to gain such an experience is not easy and the cost of participation per person ranges from 80 to 150 euros, depending on the region they choose to go to.
The American Thomas Brown he was so excited himself that he brought his entire family of four and three additional friends from New York to share in the experience.
The Italian Valeria Sena from Turin he said he felt like he was in paradise and it was the first time he felt the greatness of Nature and Life so close. The day after her unprecedented experience she would fly to her city and tell everyone what she experienced in Skiathos, as she mentioned.
The deputy mayor of Skiathos Tourism Alekos Efstathiou speaking to APE-MBE he stated that “fishing tourism is an important part of Tourism and we will help them as much as we can and we will promote this effort with their participation and promotion in major international Exhibitions that our Municipality participates in”.
At dusk of the same day, Angelos Constantelias, after his persistent journey behind Tsougria and in front of Agios Floros, was cleaning his nets again since the next day would be even more difficult. With the sun shining he had to be a perfect host – angler for the eight Brits who had planned yet another trip to the waters of Skiathos.
Source :Skai
I am Frederick Tuttle, who works in 247 News Agency as an author and mostly cover entertainment news. I have worked in this industry for 10 years and have gained a lot of experience. I am a very hard worker and always strive to get the best out of my work. I am also very passionate about my work and always try to keep up with the latest news and trends.
