In Greece, small-scale fishermen say a new EU law could sink their way of life. The regulation forces them to weigh their catches dockside and log every fish into a digital system. 

Brussels insists it's about transparency. The men who haul their nets say it's madness.

After forty years at sea, veteran fisherman Nikolaos Tsivelekos has had enough. "They want us to thaw the fish, weigh them, and refreeze them," he fumes. 

"In summer heat, that makes them unsafe to eat. This isn't regulation — it's a threat to consumers and to us." 

The rulebook from Brussels looks neat on paper. Every catch must be weighed instantly on the dock with certified scales. 

Each species must be kept apart. Every kilo must be recorded and digitally certified. But reality on Greece's sun-scorched quaysides tells a different story.

In dozens of tiny ports, there are no certified scales, no reliable internet, and no training for fishermen already stretched thin. 

For many, the thought of logging every fish into an app while juggling nets, buyers and the blazing heat borders on absurd. "Without proper equipment," says one fisherman in South Pelion, "we'll spend more time fighting with tablets than catching fish."

Even politicians are split. Fredi Beleri, a Greek MEP with the ruling New Democracy party, defends the EU's vision but admits fishermen need help. 

"The goal is clear: to know how much fish is caught and to protect consumers. But we also need to help small fishermen adapt — otherwise rules on paper won't work in practice."

Others are far blunter. Sakis Arnaoutoglou, an MEP with opposition party PASOK, warns the regulation could turn fresh catch into spoiled waste. 

"These rules will make fish rot on the quay," he says. "They need to store the fish immediately. Without certified scales or training, it's impossible. Instead of protecting consumers, it risks poisoning them."

Two visions are colliding: one of a Europe united under common rules, the other of small coastal communities fighting to survive. Brussels says accountability is non-negotiable. 

Greek fishermen argue their livelihoods are being signed away by people who've never set foot on a trawler.

Unless Athens and Brussels step in with equipment, training, and real support, critics warn that Greece's centuries-old fishing tradition could be lost. And for men like Tsivelekos, the fear is simple: 

They may soon be forced to swap their nets for bureaucracy — and their way of life for extinction.