The designation of marine protected areas is one of the challenges that Greece faces.
Greece has adopted by law the global and European goal of protecting at least 30% of marine areas by 2030. Recently, during the 9th Our Ocean Conference, the creation of two new marine parks in the Ionian and Aegean Sea was announced.
“The new marine protected areas need the guidance of science, we need to know exactly where they will be located in order to be efficient”, Ioli Christopoulou told ERTNEWS.
As part of the 9th Our Ocean Conference, The Green Tank co-organized with MEDASSET a side event, where we announced our commitment to contribute to the 30% target through LIFE MareNatura, the largest programme for the protection of marine biodiversity ever developed in Greece.
The project is implemented by a broad consortium of actors (research and academic institutions, public bodies, environmental NGOs and private environmental consultancy companies) coordinated by the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR).
The project partners are: Natural Environment & Climate Change Agency (NECCA), University of the Aegean, University of Crete (Natural History Museum of Crete), National Observatory of Athens, Hellenic Ornithological Society, Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk seal (MOm), ARCHELON-The Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece, Mediterranean Association to Save the Sea Turtles (MEDASSET), Nature Conservation Consultants (NCC Ltd), Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), WaterProof B.V.
Also talking to ERTNEWS, Anis Zarrouk – Biodiversity Programme Coordinator, Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas (SPA/RAC), who also participated in the aforementioned OOC side event – stressed that marine protected areas are key to the proper management of all activities undertaken in the Mediterranean (tourism, fisheries, etc.).
These statements were hosted on “Environment Insert”, broadcast on Tuesday 23 April 2024.
