Reclaiming Waters: A Documentary on Abandoned Fish Farms

An Unseen Crisis in Our Oceans

The growing problem of abandoned fish farms is a crisis that few people know about, yet it is threatening marine ecosystems and coastal communities. Reclaiming Waters: Rescuing Our Seas from Ghost Farms is an abandoned fish farms documentary that sheds light on this hidden environmental problem. Through three years of clean-up missions, Healthy Seas and its partners have worked to remove hundreds of tons of marine litter, restore polluted waters, and raise awareness about the dangers of leaving fish farms to decay in the sea.

What You’ll Discover in the Documentary
This 25-minute documentary provides an in-depth look at the scale, impact, and solutions surrounding ghost farms, covering:

What Are Ghost Farms?
How the term was created by Healthy Seas to define abandoned fish farms.
The difference between ghost farms and general marine litter.
The Devastating Impact of Ghost Farms
How abandoned fish farms threaten marine ecosystems, tourism, and local economies.
The dangers of styrofoam pollution, plastic pipes, and lost nets.
The cycle of abandonment—how one ghost farm leads to further neglect.
How We Clean and Reclaim These Waters
Behind-the-scenes footage of five major cleanup operations across Greece.
The complex logistics of cleaning abandoned fish farms—divers, land teams, recycling partners, and government approvals.
The journey of recovered waste: from collection to recycling and reuse.
The Role of Education and Community Engagement
How these cleanups are not just about removing waste but about raising awareness.
Involvement of universities, local schools, and communities to drive long-term change.

Why This Documentary Matters
The issue of ghost farms is underreported and largely unknown, yet it is a growing problem. Unlike general marine litter, ghost farms have a traceable source—their abandonment is not an accident but a failure of regulation enforcement and responsibility.

Through this documentary, we aim to:
Raise awareness about ghost farms and their impact.
Showcase real solutions that can be replicated in other regions.
Inspire action—whether by joining cleanups, supporting sustainable aquaculture, or advocating for policy change.

Partners in Reclaiming Waters
This documentary has been produced by Healthy Seas, with the support of Hyundai Motor Europe and a diverse group of organizations and institutional partners committed to restoring marine ecosystems.

Associated partners:

Additionally, these efforts were carried out in close collaboration with the municipalities of Nafpaktia, Xiromero, thaca & Amfilochia

The project was conducted under the auspices of: Region of Western Greece, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Greece

A special thanks to Hellenic Aquaculture Producers Organization (HAPO) for providing footage of an active fish farm, helping to highlight the contrast between sustainable practices and abandoned sites.