At loggerheads!
GREECE: ZAKYNTHOS NATIONAL MARINE PARK

It's a tragic debacle that may impact the future conservation and management of the most important loggerhead sea turtle nesting beaches in the entire Mediterranean, inexorably setting a dangerous precedent for management of the other 27 protected areas in Greece. Even after the three NGOs, MEDASSET, WWF Greece and ARCHELON provided the European Commission (EC) DG Environment with countless reports and evidence of serious breaches of the 2002 European Court of Justice Ruling and EC Habitats' Directive throughout 2006, it has fallen on deaf ears. The case is to be closed.

Since Greece was taken to the European Court of Justice in 2002 for failing to adopt an effective system of strict protection for the loggerhead sea turtles in Laganas Bay and the appointment of a new Park President by the Greek Minister of Environment in 2005, the nesting beaches have been the focus of illegal and ecologically detrimental management.

The 'Strictly Protected' nesting beach of Daphne in the Zakynthos National Marine Park (ZNMP) has been restored in 2006, but at what price? Achieving restoration of 15-30m (depth) of the nesting section of this beach has come at the price of new illegal constructions, extensions, renovations, and development constituting breaches of National and EC legislation and European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling. Not only has building construction taken place but two new roads opened, removal of trees and bushes, unmanaged sewerage disposal, noise emissions from power generators and sand-mining of the nesting beach for construction purposes. Contrary to the 2002 ECJ Ruling, which states that the presence of buildings on Daphne nesting beach would "no doubt" lead to the deterioration or destruction of the breeding site, the EC has argued that a clear cause-effect must be established for it to be in breach of the Ruling. Some illegal wooden constructions (not buildings) were indeed removed, however they have been replaced by permanent buildings, with the total number of illegal buildings now increased to 23 compared to 14 at the beginning of the 2006 nesting season, with a further two new roads. These initiatives of the ZNMP President were not supported by the local authorities.

The illegal buildings owners in Daphne have been given promises through signed 'co-operative agreements' with the Minister of Environment appointed President of the ZNMP to somehow appease them to cooperate with other management measures and ultimately avoid a large fine from the European Court of Justice. Instead of having their buildings connected to the main electricity grid (thus legitimised under Greek law) and other promises fulfilled, the illegal building owners were given fines by the Zakynthos Department of Urban Planning ranging from €270,000 to €670,000. Disillusioned and angry, the locals lodged a legal case against the ZNMP Management in October and have ever since actively blocked all access to Daphne beach, destroying the ZNMP's signage, guard post and vehicle bar.

Local inhabitants held a protest, disseminating material to the international attendees of the recent MedPAN (Mediterranean Protected Area Network) Workshop held in Zakynthos in March 2007. On top of the infighting and political commotion resulting from the fines; dozens of property tenures of Laganas Bay are in question, making the future for both the local inhabitants and the sea turtles largely uncertain.

Adding insult to injury, the ZNMP President was given a hearing by the EC in Brussels on the 14th November 2006, accompanied by representatives from the Greek Department of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of the Environment, to present her view of the 'positive' progress made in this contested protected area. Power of persuasion and the backing of the Minister of Environment, helped the ZNMP President to convince the EC that all was fine and she was applauded for her undertakings. Despite the persistence of the NGOs to convey the gravity of the Case in separate reports, sent to the EC and Bern Convention at Council of Europe in November 2006, followed by repeated correspondence and complaints; three months later the EC replied with their intentions to close the case, stating that the ZNMP is "progressively managed to effectively implement the existing legal framework, in cooperation with local authorities, NGOs, economic operators and landowners"! In the eyes of the NGOs any positive achievements made by the Park in terms of dissemination of environmental awareness raising leaflets, efforts to control sea traffic and guarding has been overshadowed by the failure to meet even a very basic level of adherence to existing National legislation.

Sekania, the World's singularly most densely nested beach situated in Laganas Bay (owned by WWF Greece), is overlooked by the Zakynthos Waste Disposal Area. The Management of this malfunctioning and illegal Waste disposal unit has been repeatedly fined and even jailed for negligence. The uncovered sprawl of waste becomes a magnet for congregations of seagulls. Yet when dawn comes and hatchlings try to make their run for the sea, they become the seagull's new prey. Obligations under the EC Habitats' Directive stipulate that "all anthropogenic activities responsible for the deterioration of the nesting beaches and deliberate disturbance of the species must be strictly regulated'. The EC asserts that this is the case in Zakynthos despite the early morning carnage...

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