Greek PM announces two national marine parks in Ionian and Aegean Seas
Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the new parks in a television message, which, alongside their environmental goals, also have diplomatic implications.
Given the diplomatic tension with Libya and Turkey over maritime zones, the announcement indicates that the Greek side considers the Turcolibian Memorandum invalid and unsubstantiated in practice, as it has said many times and in all international forums.
'Among the largest marine protected areas in the entire Mediterranean'
In his message, the Greek Prime Minister referred exclusively to the protection of the marine environment.
"The sea has always been the silent power of Greece. It is part of who we are - it has shaped our culture and history, nourishes our people and nurtures our spirit," he said.
"Last month, at the UN Conference on Oceans on the Mediterranean coast of France, I made a promise - to honour this unique maritime heritage and protect it for future generations."
He said he was delivering on that promise by creating two new national marine parks - one in the Ionian Sea and one in the Southern Cyclades.
Mitsotakis added that these parks "will be among the largest marine protected areas in the entire Mediterranean" and will allow Greece to reach its target of protecting 30 per cent of its territorial waters by 2030 much earlier than originally planned.
"They will become vast refuges of life beneath the waves. They will also help to preserve ecosystems, restore balance and set a bold new standard for marine protection," he said.
"And perhaps most importantly, within these maritime zones, the highly destructive practice of trawling will be banned."
Mitsotakis added that Sir David Attenborough's new 'Ocean' documentary had "reinforced [his] commitment to do more in managing the sea - to redefine our relationship with it. Not as owners. But as custodians".
"We will protect, yes. But we will also educate, collaborate and lead," he said.
"Working with local communities, local fishermen, scientists, and international partners, we will make these parks examples of what is possible. By doing so, Greece can become a voice of the sea in Europe and beyond.
"Because when we protect our ocean, we protect our own future."
What does the creation of national marine parks really mean?
Parks are established on the basis of strict environmental criteria, which help to facilitate their integrated and effective management. The area is treated in an integrated manner and allows for better regulation of permitted uses and activities.
In the national marine parks, trawling will be completely banned, and additional measures and restrictions are foreseen to effectively protect the most vulnerable habitats and species.
They will be monitored using an integrated surveillance system - including drones, radar, satellite imagery and more - by Greece's Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency OFYPEKA.
How big will the new marine parks be?
The boundaries of marine parks were identified following the respective Specific Environmental Assessments (SEAs), which are subject to public consultation in accordance with national and EU legislation, based on their ecological and environmental value.
The two parks include and integrate scattered protected areas already belonging or under inclusion in the European Natura 2000 network.
The South Aegean National Marine Park 1 - Southern Cyclades includes 18 existing Natura 2000 sites, and the Ionian National Marine Park includes 24 sites.
The parks are coherent and geographically defined in order to allow for monitoring and effective management for their effective protection.
Their extent even exceeds the initial announcements made by the Prime Minister at the 9th Our Ocean Conference in April last year.
That announcement suggested marine parks covering a total area of 22,000 km2 (14,000 km2 in the Ionian Sea and 8,000 km2 in the Southern Aegean).
Today, on the basis of the respective specific environmental studies, the area has increased by 25 per cent to about 27,500 km2 (about 18,000 km2 and 9,500 km2 respectively).
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