3.1 Averkios Gaitanis on Ethical Mining and the Future of the Greek Island Milos

Mining has always been here and should be treated as part of our heritage. 

Averkios Gaitanis

The interview was edited by Sören E. Schuster, Matthias Schmidt and Anna S. Hüncke

Last updated: 2025/10/07

On April 25, 2025, a group of interdisciplinary researchers from Germany met with Averkios Gaitanis – former deputy mayor of Milos, entrepreneur, and government official. As part of a project on Ethical Mining, the researchers were developing a case study on the Greek island, which not only has a mining history dating back to the Stone Age but is also experiencing a substantial rise in tourism. In a sunny café at the port of Adamas, the island’s largest town, Gaitanis shared insights into how mining and tourism are perceived on Milos and offered his outlook on what the future might hold.

Q: Mr. Gaitanis, you were born on Milos and, aside from ten years spent abroad, you've lived your entire life here. The changes you've witnessed over the past decades must have been substantial. Based on your experience, what would you say has changed the most on the island?

Generally, the values among people have changed. Fifty years ago, human relationships were different. Today, people mostly care about money and appearances. You can see this trend unfolding every day, and I believe it will only get worse. People orient their work and lives towards money. Changes to the landscape, like new buildings or infrastructure, could perhaps be reversed. They are not permanent. But once values change, you cannot undo that.

Q: How was it before these changes happened? What did people value back then?

We had a strong sense of community. Thirty years ago, we did not have to lock our houses and cars. Everyone respected each other’s property. That no longer works today, because many outsiders came to the island. People move to different places – that’s how development happens, it’s perfectly normal. But it also impacts the security and the overall balance of a community that is affected by these changes. Instead of looking out for the community, people desire money which symbolizes success. But money can also corrupt. It’s a double-edged sword, it is not bad in itself. Sometimes it does good, but it can also do harm.

Q: Would you say there are already too many tourists on the island?

Yes, the number is already high, a lot has changed in just a few years. If you look at Santorini, you can get an idea of where this development is leading. Many investors are buying land on Milos now. They purchase property and plan constructions that didn’t seem possible – and desirable – ten years ago. Back then, we didn’t have big companies coming here. That’s a big change that you can also see in the prices of property, which are now in the millions. You can see it in everything, even in the people.

Q: Do you think tourists influence the island? And how does tourism in genereal relate to the mining industry?

Tourism itself is nothing new here, although mining started much earlier, more than 11,000 years ago. A large community on this island benefitted from mining since the very beginning. Over the years, after tourists began to visit Milos, a certain balance between mining and tourism developed. Now, tourism brings more people and money, but it’s hard to know how much exactly. Unlike mining, tourism involves a lot of informal income, for example through Airbnb. Much of it isn’t recorded, which makes comparisons difficult. When tourism is too intense, it becomes a burden, especially if we look at sustainability.

Q: That balance between mining and tourism – it doesn’t exist anymore today?

It’s easy to blame one side when something goes wrong. But we need to acknowledge that balance is complex. Forty years ago, there was a loading and unloading zone for minerals in Adamas, not far from where we sit right now, and large trucks passed through all the time. But then, an industrial port was built outside of Adamas and made space for tourism. This was the kind of the balance that allowed both sectors to coexist. People are busy in both sectors right now and the island has changed. You can see it in the techniques of mining, which was done manually first. Machines only came in during the last century and drastically changed the landscape. Have you visited the main mining area, where the large-scale operations happen?

Q: Yes, and we saw that the changes to the landscape brought by mining can also be an attraction for tourists. It could add value to the tourism sector as well. Is that correct?

It’s difficult in Greece because of outdated laws and bureaucratic challenges. Things move slowly, and it can feel quite absurd at times. Are any of you from Central Germany? Near Hamburg, they have a large technical museum. We have plenty of similar resources here, but we don’t promote them like they do in Hamburg. These places in Germany attract hundreds of thousands of visitors just for technology tourism. Such a model could not work here – not because it's a bad idea, but because the system doesn't support it. No one cares enough. Decision-makers don’t even know where Milos is. They only react if someone from central government calls them and their interests are far away from the people and their reality here.

Mining has always been here and should be treated as part of our heritage, not just an economic activity. There is an ancient mine here that has never been excavated, for example, even though it has immense historical value. A collapse of the mine killed 40 workers. Still, no one cares. It is not even officially considered a grave. Our municipality did everything it could to designate it as a historical site, but the government allowed the area to be destroyed. There are too many places to preserve in Greece, so some are neglected. Most tourists come here for the natural beauty of the island, not for the mining history or the history of Milos in general. The state also does not invest in proper supervision or personnel. Wages are too low to attract qualified inspectors, for instance, for historical sites. If I only earn 800€ per month but have to pay 1000€ for my rent, then the job is not attractive. People would rather do something else. Thus, historical sites like the ancient city of Philakopi stay closed.

Q: Would you say that, from an economic perspective, mining offers more stability than tourism?

Not in general. In 2008, for example, during the financial crisis, mining companies reduced production. Workers had to take unpaid leave. Still, they weren’t laid off and kept working, although the income was low. These kinds of problems can happen again. But in recent years, mining has remained stable. People in mining work hard!

Q: Where do people prefer to work – in tourism or mining?

Younger people are drawn to tourism. Older generations seem more closely connected to the mining tradition and feel a sense of pride in that. For them, work is about survival, not preference. Many younger people are less interested in working hard. I am responsible for the local tourism office, which is why I often represent the island abroad. Sometimes my days are so full that I have an appointment every two minutes. But I am proud of it.

In general, older generations have a stronger sense of history. Milos is historically famous for the Venus de Milo, a marble sculpture you’ve probably heard of. It is displayed in the Louvre Museum in Paris. Some items from Milos have also ended up in German museums. I saw one of them, a statue of Hermes, four years ago exhibited in the Louvre as part of an exhibition marking the 200th anniversary of Greek independence from the Ottoman Empire. The Louvre had borrowed the statue from the German museum for the occasion. It was strange to suddenly recognize something from here that I hadn’t known about before.

Unlike Venus, the Hermes statue was stolen from Milos and surfaced in Rome before being bought by a German museum. After World War II, the statue was taken to Moscow and brought back to Berlin in 1962. Since then, it has been under restoration at the Pergamon Museum and has never been shown to the public. Once we discovered it, we made efforts to have it sent back to Greece. But a conversation like this needs to be initiated by the Minister of Culture. Only at that level, it might be possible to bring back the statue. These kinds of things remind us how important history is. If we forget our history, we have no future.

Q: So what about the future of Milos? Where is all of this development heading?

I honestly don’t know. But I do know that I won't be around to see the worst of it – and I’m relieved. Things are not improving. Our oxygen, both literal and metaphorical, is being consumed by others. Take Santorini again, as an example. Traffic there is so bad that it can take a whole day to cross the island. Cruise ships unload thousands of people each day, overwhelming the infrastructure. Life for locals is becoming harder. Even though tourism brings money, the cost of living rises faster. If you're a local, you can’t just eat at a restaurant every day like a tourist. You have to pay those same inflated prices daily. Fuel and energy costs are also very high. Infrastructure like roads or electricity might improve slightly, but that does not make up for the challenges.

 Med. 3.1: Cruise ships and ferry, port of Adamas

Q: What about the future of mining and tourism on Milos?

Mining will continue, as long as minerals are needed. There is also geothermal potential here. But earlier attempts to exploit it caused environmental damage. Still, the government wants to promote such energy production, but it comes at a cost. Twenty-five years ago, there was also an attempt to extract gold using cyanide. That was stopped because it was too dangerous for such a small island. We’re not the Nevada desert! Industrial mining, especially for certain minerals, carries risks. There is even some radioactivity in places. But no one talks about it, and few understand it. And then there’s the local hypocrisy. Some families sell their land to mining companies and then complain about environmental destruction. The pressure to develop – whether from mining or tourism – is relentless. The mountains are being cut down, the coastline is being covered with concrete. Large hotels are being built. Some now have more than 150 beds, even though that used to be the legal limit. Can we do anything against this? Maybe. But not through conventional means.

Q: Is there anything more that we should consider when we draw on Milos as a case study in the exploration of Ethical Mining?

You need to treat Milos as a special case. Mining and tourism intersect here in unique ways. Milos is exceptional due to its geology and geography. It was central to Mediterranean civilization for millennia. The island has been rich since ancient times, and mining was the foundation of that wealth. Its location made it a strategic hub – whether for trade or pirate attacks. During WWII, even a small number of German troops could control the entire surrounding sea because Milos is so central. Volcanic activity has given Milos special minerals. Some, like bentonite and perlite, are used worldwide. Santorini may be well known, but it doesn't have this range of industrial minerals.

No one knows what will happen a million years from now. But Milos will always be special. I believe mining will continue as long as minerals are needed. However, demand may fall if new technologies replace them. Tools like millstones, once essential, are no longer used. Some mines have already shut down because their products are no longer in demand. Still, a geologist friend once told me: Milos offers the greatest diversity of minerals in the world. We have many books, extensive documentation, and a deep history of mining. It will continue for now.

Q: Thank you very much for your time, Mr. Gaitanis!