In the Sporades archipelago is the Alonissos Marine National Park – one of the largest marine protected areas in Europe – which extends over more than 2200 square kilometers between land and sea. Like nearly 20 % of Greek waters, this protected area has been integrated into the European Natura 2000 network.
From our correspondent in Athens, Joel Bronner
Mediterranean monk seals in danger of extinction, dolphins, whales, sperm whales… the small Greek archipelago of the Sporades, which has about twenty islands of which only four are home to humans, serves as a natural habitat for many marine species. Species that benefit here from a space labeled ” Nature 2000 », European tool for the preservation of biodiversity.
Olivier Vardakoulias, environmental economist, defines the outlines: ” Natura areas are protected areas. They are not protected areas in the sense that nothing can be done in them, but they are areas in which economic activities must be compatible with environmental sustainability and the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems. »
Loli Christopoulou represents Green Tank, a Greek think tank dedicated in particular to the preservation of biodiversity. ” If we look here at the map of Greece, with the extent of the protected areas, we can see, for example, to the east that the sector of the islets of the Sporades archipelago – which serve in particular as shelter for Mediterranean monk seals- has been designated as a strict protection area. In other surrounding areas, only certain limited – ie small-scale – human activities are permitted. Like some boat tours to admire the places for example. There you have it, the Sporades are therefore one of the areas where protection measures are effectively put in place, whereas in many other areas things are not yet very clear and should settle down in the years to come. »
Transition period so that, beyond the particular case of the Sporades, Greece puts in place a real management of its protected areas – furthermore divided into more or less strict protection zones – beyond their simple census on the paper.
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