HPA S.A. PRESS RELEASE: The two-day voluntary underwater cleaning and digital mapping of the seabed in the Venetian Port of Heraklion by OLI-KLI and the Port Fund was completed with complete success and wide participation.

9 June, 2026

The two-day voluntary underwater cleaning and digital mapping of the seabed at the Venetian Port of Heraklion, which took place on the occasion of the double celebration of World Environment Day and World Oceans Day, was completed with complete success and excellent results on Saturday, June 6, 2026.

This promising environmental initiative was co-organized by the Heraklion Central Port Authority, the Heraklion Port Authority and the Heraklion Port Fund, sending a resounding, timely message for the protection of our marine ecosystems.

This innovative effort demonstrated in practice that the protection of the marine environment and the coasts requires joint action by the state, science and society, based on the principles of Sustainability and the collective effort of state and private entities. The action began on Thursday, June 4, with the Coastal Marine Research Laboratory immersing a specialized sonar (sounding system) in the waters of the port, providing a valuable digital image of the seabed and accurately identifying the main sources of pollution so that scientific data would be ready for the operation that would follow.

Guided by this scientific data, on Saturday, June 6, the central volunteer action took place, where 8 experienced, qualified divers were present at the forefront of the underwater operation with their dynamic voluntary participation, retrieving a large volume of waste from the seabed.

Also valuable was the voluntary participation of the Heraklion Sailing Club and the Heraklion Inflatable Boat Club, who provided boats and crews for the safety and coordination of the divers, while the active participation of the Greek Rescue Team of the Heraklion Branch was important, as was the participation of Organizations, Associations and professionals involved in the existing Network that has been developed with the aim of protecting the marine environment in mind.

The Venetian Port of Heraklion is a reference point for the city and the response from the public and volunteers was moving, with the citizens in attendance sending messages of optimism, emphasizing the importance of individual responsibility and expressing the hope that such actions will become an institution for our city, especially now that the climate crisis requires immediate protection of the seas.

Warm thanks and congratulations to the volunteers for their contribution to this action and especially for the thunderous message: "DON'T THROW THE SEA INTO THE GARBAGE" that they sent with their active participation.

This environmental initiative was honored with the presence of Heraklion MP Lefteris Avgenakis, who closely monitored the work and warmly congratulated all participants for the excellent initiative. At the same time, official messages and greetings of support were sent by Heraklion MPs Maximos Senetakis, Konstantinos Kefalogiannis and Eleni Vatsina, extolling the value of volunteerism and underlining the importance of collective effort for the future of the country.

The organizers, the Heraklion Central Port Authority, the Heraklion Port Authority and the Port Fund, express their warm thanks to all the citizens, associations and companies that responded to the call, proving that the cleanliness of our seas is a matter that concerns us all.

Below is a list of participants/volunteers as well as photographic material.

Participation:

Coastal Marine Research Laboratory