Turtle Dives... Since May our Zakynthos National Marine Park campaign has escalated to crisis point, with enough illegalities and political games to make your jaw drop! We hope reading about our campaigns will impassion you to write to your local media or a tour operator that sends tourists to Zakynthos. At this challenging time we need your support more than ever so please consider contributing to MEDASSET for this worthwhile campaign. The last few months have been interesting as our much-loved Stella returned to her English roots and a new Australian edition, Prue Robinson has taken over as International Communications Officer and Editor of Turtle Dives!

Hope you enjoy our 2nd edition and we would love to hear your feedback. Send us your comments or suggestions about what you'd like to read about in our next edition to: medasset@medasset.org

Lily Venizelos
President

GREECE: ZAKYNTHOS NATIONAL MARINE PARK (ZNMP)
"Anything goes" to avoid European Court of Justice Fine! After years of conflict, controversy and illegalities, the situation on the 'Strictly Protected' nesting beach of Daphne, has reached an unprecedented crisis. Serious mismanagement and major legal violations have been the result of the President of ZNMP, supported by the Greek Minister of Environment, attempts to save Greece from a major European Court of Justice fine (ECJ), following the court ruling of 2002. read more...

CAYMAN ISLAND TURTLE FARM
UNDER FIRE BY CONSERVATIONISTS A diverse coalition of international NGOs from the USA and Europe, initiated by Caribbean Conservation Corporation and MEDASSET, are condemning the UK government for approving a contentious shipment of 20 endangered green sea turtles from the Cayman Island Turtle Farm to Sea Life Centres in England.. read more...

IUCN CHANGES STATUS OF "MEDITERRANEAN" GREEN TURTLE The IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group (MTSG) has recently changed the IUCN Red list (World Conservation Union) status of the green turtle in the Mediterranean from a regional critically endangered status, to only an endangered global listing. MEDASSET considers that this devalued status could potentially jeopardize conservation efforts in the region. read more...

New Publications
'MARINE TURTLE CONSERVATION IN THE MEDITERREAN: POPULATION STATUS AND CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES ON SEA TURTLE NESTING BEACHES IN SOUTH LEBANON, 2005'
By Cross, H., Rizk, C., Khalil, M. and Venizelos, L.,
Has just been made public! The coastal nesting survey and habitat monitoring was conducted in 2005 on the Southern Lebanese beaches, part of MEDASSET's ongoing research and conservation programme in the Mediterranean. read more...

The 26th Annual International Sea Turtle Symposium in Crete
A Success! On April 2-8th, the Hotel Capsis in Heraklion, Crete was besieged by 700 participants of the 26th Annual International Symposium on Sea Turtle Conservation and Biology from 76 countries around the globe. Marine turtle specialists, NGOs, students, volunteers, ecologists, together with Government representatives and members of the local Government, all journeyed to Crete to talk turtles. read more...

New Tourism Website And Educational Text Book Zakynthos National Marine Park is to become a case study in a new Travel and Tourism for an OCR textbook! MEDASSET also features in the newly created Kefalonia travel guide website. read more...

Fundraising News An enchanting candle lit buffet dinner, was held on June 14th at the very suave Yacht Club of Greece, over-looking the Saronic Gulf, under a full moon. read more...

'Hand-woven Japanese SAORI turtles'