Enlargement of the Marine Protected Areas Network of Greece to meet the 30% Target by 2024.

With this commitment, Greece announced the establishment of two new national marine parks in the Ionian and in the Aegean with the aim to enlarge the marine protected areas network in Greece to more than 35% of territorial waters (from 18.3% which is today). The two new national marine parks being planned build on  existing Natura 2000 sites  and expand this protection seaward.

The Ionian National Marine Park, according to the commitment, will extend from north of Kefalonia to south of Antikythira and aims to protect part of the Hellenic Trench, and important protected marine species such as sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus), Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris),  Striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) and loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), as well as significant marine habitats such as Posidonia oceanica meadows and brown algae (Cystoseira sp.).

The Aegean National Marine Park has as its core the southern part of the Aegean which includes designated Natura 2000 sites and Important Bird Areas (IBAs). The establishment of this park aims at the protection of important seabirds which use this area as a feeding ground and for resting during their migration, such as the European shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis desmarestii), Audouin’s gull (Larus audouinii), Scopoli’s shearwater (Calonectris Diomedea), the yelkouan shearwater (Puffinus yelkouan), Eleonora’s falcon   (Falco eleonorae),  Bonelli’s Eagle (Aquila fasciata). Furthermore, there is significant presence of  many protected marine species, such as the   Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus Monachus), the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), the  bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus),  the striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba), Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris), and the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus).

To effectively achieve the 30X30 target, the establishmentof the two new marine parks should include appropriate protection measures  (e.g. the prohibition and regulation of harmful activities) in line with the ecological requirements of each area as well as a management plan, a surveillance and monitoring plan and sufficient resources (e.g. personnel and equipment) for management actions, suirvellance and controls.