Vol. 8 (1): May 2005 Download this page. Greece / Italy / Mauritania & Western Sahara / Turkey. Greece

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1 Vo. 8 (1): May 2005 Downoad this page Greece / Itay / Mauritania & Western Sahara / Turkey Greece When at ast are you going to dea with the environment, Mr. Minister? Representatives of 9 NGOs gathered at the Athens headquarters of Greenpeace on 15 March to mark the government s first anniversary in power and to expain to the pubic why the environment remains in imbo a fu year after the prime minister s pre-eection promises. Quoting from those pedges the press conference participants went on to identify environmenta issues ranging from water resources to erosion, waste management to marine protected areas, aternative technoogy to uncontroed deveopment, where the government has aegedy faied to deiver or indeed show any tangibe sign of movement whatsoever on its pre-eection commitments. Greece s fagship monk sea protected area. No management, no funds, no guarding, no deveopment pan. The press conference brought together Greenpeace, WWF, Einiki Etairia, Archeon, the Greek Ornithoogica Society/Birdife Internationa, Mediterranean SOS and MOm. MOm highighted the government s continuing inaction on the protected areas of Greece where funding cut-offs, guarding ayoffs and whoesae disbanding of management authorities has effectivey eft the country without any protected areas worthy of the name [see Greek protected areas in imbodespite prime minister s assurances, TMG 7 (2): November 2004]. Whie many new areas have been decared protected as part of the EU s Natura 2000 network, without management, guards or budgets, the protection exists ony on paper. In other cases, egisation sti requires enactment before the areas in question wi benefit from good intentions. Foowing the conference, the organisations issued a ist of 8 priorities requiring urgent action for the protected areas. Greek Environment Minister, Giorgos Soufias, appeared to take the accusations personay. In a statement issued one day after the press briefing, the Ministry press office accused the NGOs of having a hidden agenda. On 17 March, eight of the NGOs pubicy refuted the government s aegations, and a week ater dramaticay pubished an open etter in nationa newspapers, asking Giorgos Soufias directy, When at ast are you going to dea with the environment, Mr. Minister? The etter went on to note that: 27 estabished nationa parks in Greece are not operating. 270 of the most important natura sites of the country have no protection. The country s obigations to the environment under EU treaties and agreements are not being fufied. Funds approved by the EU for Greek environmenta priorities have not been distributed.

2 The uncertain future of the Nationa Marine Park of Aonissos, Northern Sporades (NMPANS) was underscored in March by a burgary at the Gerakas Research Station, where budget cuts have eft the buiding unguarded, untended and uninhabited. A computer, VCR and VHF radio were stoen. To make matters worse, the summer tourist season is fast approaching, a time when traditionay there are more frequent infringements of Park reguations. Eeni Tounta, MOm s coordinator for the NMPANS, worries that this wi be the second year in a row that the Park has remained unguarded. Monk sea pup Hippocrates dies in rehab Orphaned monk sea pup Hippocrates, rescued on the Greek isand of Kos in October, died suddeny on Monday 22 November with symptoms of acute enteritis [see Orphaned pup Hippocrates rescued on Kos, TMG 7 (2): November 2004]. A necropsy, performed in the Veterinary Schoo of Thessaoniki by a speciaized veterinary pathoogist, Dr. N. Papaioannou, confirmed that the enteritis had resuted in cardiac pause and ung edema. The sea, which had been under care in MOm s rehabiitation centre on Aonissos for the past one and a haf months, showed progress in deveopment and behaviour, though a deayed increase in body weight. Hippocrates in the MOm rescue station on Aonissos. Two days before his death, Hippocrates dispayed the first symptoms of enteritis, which were treated with a ight diet. Sady, on the morning of the 22 November, he showed acute symptoms and died three hours ater, the swiftness of the anima s deterioration effectivey preventing emergency intervention by the rehabiitation team. Sampes anayzed by Erasmus University, Rotterdam, did not identify any underying vira cause of the enteritis. Jeny Androukaki, MOm. Fina farewe from Dimitris At 01:57 on 5 November 2004, we received the ast signa from Dimitris, the orphaned pup rehabiitated at MOm s rescue station on Aonissos, and returned to the wid on 22 May 2004 [Cear bue horizon for Dimitris, TMG 7 (1): June 2004]. In accordance with initia predictions, the sma sateite transmitter keeping us informed of his movements ceased functioning some 5,5 months after it was first attached, a time broady coinciding with the anima s first mout. Besides reaffirming his surviva in the wid, the sateite aso provided vauabe scientific data, shedding ight on itte understood aspects of the species ecoogy, incuding movement between isands and diving depths. A record dive of 180 meters was registered, effectivey re-writing earier scientific estimates [Orphaned sea criss-crosses the Sporades Marine Park, sets new diving record, TMG 7 (2): November 2004]. The weath of data coected is currenty being anayzed and processed by MOm, and is expected to fi in other gaps in our scientific knowedge of species behaviour. Panos Dendrinos, MOm. Editor s note: For further iustrated information on Dimitris rescue, rehabiitation and reease, check out our News Archive page.

3 Kimoos and Karpathos: two Aegean isands with internationa ecoogica significance MOm has marked the end of its four-year LIFE programme in the Aegean by pubishing a ayman s guide highighting the chaenges, significance and achievements of the project. The EU-backed programme impemented research and conservation objectives in two of Greece s designated Natura 2000 areas, the N. Karpathos-Saria area in the southeastern Aegean, and the Kimoos-Poyaigos compex in the Cycades [TMG Mediterranean News, passim]. During the programme, the monk sea popuation and its habitats were monitored, the degree of human intervention in the areas assessed and, foowing this, an adequate surveiance system designed for each area. Information and environmenta education actions at the oca and nationa eve was aso necessary, in order to make the oca community and the wider pubic aware of the great ecoogica vaue of these areas and of the efforts to protect them. In the Kimoos-Poyegos area, 32 newborn seas were recorded during the past four years. There are a arge number of suitabe cave refuges for resting and reproduction, which are used with consideraby high frequency. Based on a combination of a reevant data, the minimum estimated popuation is 43 seas, which constitutes the second most important popuation in the Mediterranean. In the N. Karpathos and Saria isand compex, 19 newborn seas were recorded during the course of the program, and a combination of the avaiabe data eads us to estimate that the minimum popuation in the area is 23 seas. Having carried out over 240 expeditions (600 hours of monitoring) in the marine area of Kimoos Poyegos, the researchers of MOm reached the concusion that the movement of tourist boats and sma-scae subsistence fishing in the area of Kimoos constitute the most significant potentia pressures on the marine environment. Foowing 300 patros (1,000 hours of recording) in the area of Karpathos, MOm concuded that the area is not under considerabe pressure from human activities, but arge-scae fishing constitutes a significant potentia threat. In both areas, the findings support the need for the adoption of protection measures, both near the Mediterranean monk sea refuges and in the major fishing grounds. However, the most important resut of actions in both these areas was the deveopment of the necessary requirements (adequate infrastructure, trained and experienced human workforce, detaied knowedge on the use of marine zones) for the impementation of effective surveiance systems. As a resut of the programme, a compete picture has been acquired on the status of the Mediterranean monk sea popuations; piot conservation actions were carried out for subsequent impementation by the protected area management bodies, and the vaue of the natura environment of these areas was highighted among ocas and visitors. The active participation of schoochidren constitutes possiby the most important achievement, since they wi be the future users of these areas. These achievements were possibe despite the faiure of the responsibe Ministry for Environment to fufi its financia obigations ( 150,000) to the programme. With its strategic objective being the creation of a network of protected areas for the monk sea, MOm wi continue its actions in both areas. Nevertheess, we fee the need to stress that, to date, the basic requirement for the ong-term protection of these areas their institutiona protection has not been achieved. Beieving that the efficient protection and ecoogicay sustainabe deveopment of these areas is a duty that ies with us a, we ca upon the Ministry for Environment, the European Commission and a stakehoders to do a in their power to reaize these aims. Stea Adamantopouou, MOm. MOm LIFE: Four years at a gance. The monk sea: Conservation actions in two Greek Natura 2000 sites. Heenic Society for the Study & Protection of the Monk Sea (MOm), Athens, Greece: [PDF 5.0MB]

4 Historic commitment Foowing their historic exchange visits [see Deveoping coser ties between Turkey and Greece in monk sea conservation, TMG 7 (2): November 2004], representatives of the monk sea communities of Foça in Turkey and Aonissos in Greece have issued a joint statement pedging a commitment to sustainabe deveopment, a protection of ecosystems and the monk sea. [More ] Monk sea from Patamonas gets a good head start Since its estabishment in 1991, the Rescue and Information Network (RINT) operated by MOm has received numerous sea sightings, thus enabing the society to estimate the distribution of the species in the country and in severa cases cosey monitor the status of specific individuas. Rarey however has a sightings account, and the fate of the monk seas invoved in it, enchanted the peope in MOm quite as much as an incident that took pace ast autumn in the coasta viage of Patamonas in northern Greece. On the 13th of October, MOm was aerted by the port poice authorities of Patamonas of a stranded monk sea pup near the viage. Upon arriva at the ocation, the MOm rescue team found a newborn pup strugging to stay afoat under harsh sea conditions. After severa hours of anxious efforts the pup managed to come ashore and find sheter on an open beach. A this took pace under the wary surveiance of the pup s mother and therefore the rescue team decided that there was no need for emergency intervention. Because of the bad weather conditions, however, a member of the rescue team remained on site in order to monitor the status of the pup during the foowing days. A cose inspection of the area and enquiries amongst oca residents reveaed that the pup had been born approximatey 500 meters from the viage port, in a cave ocated beneath the foundations of a uxury hoiday residence. Standing in the garden of the house, one coud actuay hear mother and pup vocaizing through the cracks in the earth! Despite the unconventionaity of the ocation of the cave, mother and pup (named Beucci and Moskof after the famous Itaian actress and the owner of the hoiday residence) remained in the area even after the bad weather conditions subsided and despite the fact that, due to the proximity of a settement, human activity, incuding fishing, was intense. In fact, the seas even attained some oca popuarity, reguary attracting visitors from neighboring viages and featuring on oca TV reports. MOm continued to check upon the status of the two unti the 11th of November when mother and pup were ast seen in the area. By that time, Moskof had mouted and grown into a heathy young pup. Aexandros Karamanidis, MOm. IFAW-supported project on sea-fisheries interactions draws to a cose Buiding on a ong-standing and fruitfu coaboration, MOm has been carrying out an IFAW supported project on sea-fisheries interactions since October The project, which is expected to draw to a cose this June, aimed to preserve important popuations and habitats of the monk sea in the Nationa Marine Park of Aonnisos, Northern Sporades and incuded two different sets of actions. The first of these invoved the continuation of MOm s monitoring of the oca monk sea popuation, with an emphasis on the reproductive season. During ast year s pupping season MOm s fied

5 team managed to coect important information on monk sea habitat in the Park and record seven new births, providing additiona evidence that the popuation remains reproductivey active. The second set of actions invoved a preiminary anaysis of the compex interactions between Mediterranean monk seas and the fishing sector. A detaied profie of the fishing sector within the NMPANS was compied, drawing on data from the port poice authority and the oca fishing cooperatives of Aonnissos. Approximatey a quarter of a fishermen active within the Park were interviewed and essentia information gathered on a range of issues incuding fishing techniques and areas, interaction with marine mammas, and the financia aspects of the Park s fisheries sector. Fied trips on fishing vesses were aso undertaken in order to evauate and vaidate the resuts of the questionnaires. By the end of the project, it is expected that an action pan wi have been drawn up outining ways in which sea-fisheries interactions can be mitigated, whist aso encouraging positive diaogue between conficting parties. The action pan wi be presented to the Management Authority of the NMPANS so that it can be adopted as part of the overa management pan of the Park. Aexandros Karamanidis, MOm. NMPANS Guarding Manua pubished In order to promote the conservation of the endangered monk sea in the country, the Heenic government created in 1992 the Nationa Marine Park of Aonnissos and Northern Sporades (NMPANS); this area is considered to be the most important habitat and to host the argest popuation of monk seas in the country. Acknowedging the fact that the effective operation of any protected area as a conservation measure depends greaty on the effective enforcement of the reguations governing it, and that this in turn is of extreme importance for the surviva of the Mediterranean monk sea in the Northern Sporades, MOm (Heenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Sea) initiated in 1993 and has been carrying out continuousy ever since a monitoring project in the area. This project aims to assist the reevant pubic authorities in the enforcement of the reguations of the NMPANS. The first ten years of the operation of the project have been marked by significant resuts in the protection of the Mediterranean monk sea and the effective enforcement of the reguations governing the Park, which is one of the argest Marine Protected Areas (MPA) in the Mediterranean. During this time, the need for carefuy panning and carrying out the monitoring project ed to the formation of partnerships between MOm and various nationa and internationa organisations, throughout which, vauabe experience and technica expertise was accumuated. Within the framework of the programme Monitoring and Guarding the Nationa Marine Park of Aonnisos & Northern Sporades, funded by IFAW/Internationa Fund for Anima Wefare, and in view of the operation of the recenty-estabished management body of the NMPANS, MOm has proceeded in the compiation of a guarding manua. The manua records the experiences gathered throughout the monitoring project and presents recommendations towards the effective protection of the area. Its aim is to assist the management body of the NMPANS, which is responsibe for the overa management of the area, in its initia steps of creating its own guarding/monitoring scheme and disseminate this unique knowedge to other MPA practitioners. The manua consists of four distinct chapters. Chapter one serves as an introduction to the word of marine protected areas and the ways to monitor and protect them. Considering the fact that marine protected areas have yieded significant resuts both on the bioogica and socio-economic eve, this chapter presents these resuts, the major research findings and three case studies and provides the reader the essentia background knowedge in order to understand the structure and goas of the monitoring project in the NMPANS.

6 The second chapter of the manua begins with a short presentation of the Park incuding information on the bioogica, cimatic, anthropoogica and cutura profie of the area. Buiding upon this information this chapter introduces the project itsef. A necessary excursion in the ega framework of guarding and monitoring in protected areas in Greece eads up to a short presentation of the history of the ten year project. A big part of this chapter is devoted to the detaied presentation of the resuts of the monitoring effort and its significant effects on the enforcement of the reguations governing the area and the protection of the endangered Mediterranean monk sea. Within this context, an attempt is being carried out to highight the importance of combining monitoring and guarding efforts with a we-panned information and sensitization campaign. This has been the case in the NMPANS and has ed to the acceptance of the park by the oca community. The second chapter ends with a brief anaysis of the probems encountered throughout the project, the soutions given and the concusions resuting from the panning and impementation of the guarding project for more than ten years. One of the primary aims of the manua is to serve as a guide to the newy estabished management body of the NMPANS. This aim is achieved within the third chapter of the manua, where specific recommendations attempt to ead the reader step by step to the creation and operation of an effective monitoring/guarding programme of the area. The recommendations begin with the necessary egisative changes that shoud take pace in order to create the most favourabe conditions for the effective guarding and protection of the NMPANS. These recommendations coud be broadened in order to encompass other protected areas as we, and woud make the cooperation between reevant ministries and the management bodies easier. Foowing this, the necessary infrastructure and personne are presented, as we as the methodoogy for effectivey guarding, at a minima cost, the Nationa Marine Park of Aonnissos, Northern Sporades. Specia attention has been given within this chapter to the important issues of the ogistic requirements of such an undertaking and the appication of aternative monitoring and guarding methods, that shoud be considered further by the management body of the NMPANS. Finay, the ast chapter presents the genera concusions resuting from the experience of guarding the NMPANS and the recommendations for effectivey guarding a protected areas in Greece. The manua was produced with the financia support of IFAW. For further information, pease contact Dr. Spyros Kotomatas, MOm. EndQuote Just over a month after picking a new chairman for the strugging Zakynthos nationa [marine] park, Pubic Works Minister Giorgos Soufias said yesterday he had asked the officia to resign over aegations his wife owned an iega beachfront buiding on one of the isand s protected turte nesting areas... The turte nesting grounds are threatened by tourist deveopment, one of whose worst manifestations is iega buiding. Source: Park chief axed over wife s sins, Kathimerini Engish Edition, Athens, Tuesday 24 May Mediterranean News continues with Itay, Mauritania & Western Sahara and Turkey... Copyright 2005 The Monachus Guardian. A Rights Reserved