Description
As Mediterranean monk seal populations grow, so do threats. Indeed, more interactions between human and monk seals are observed, especially from the tourism sector.
Close to 20 % of Greece’s territorial waters are designated as protected areas, of which 99% are Natura 2000 areas. However, the process from designation to actual protection is long. In the Natura 2000 network, there are 98% of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and 99% of Special Protection Areas (SPAs) that do not have management plans in place. This issue is tackled by the Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy and the Green Fund through the LIFE IP 4Natura project (dec 2017-nov 2025) as well as through the ongoing project “Preparation of Special Environmental Studies and Management Plans for the Natura 2000 network sites" and "Technical and scientific coordination of the preparation of Special Environmental Studies, draft Presidential Decrees and Management Plans for the Natura 2000 network sites'' which is supervised by the MEEN, that should lead in the near future to the issuing of Presidential Decrees and Management Plans that will cover all Natura 2000’s Protected Areas in Greece.
The current project aims to build on achievements from the various initiatives undertaken to this day on management and protection measures in monk seal habitats (including but not limited to LIFE4NATURA, LIFE MARE, LIFE NATURA THEMIS/THEMIS 2, …), identifying and relying on any current legal frameworks (Habitat Directive transcribed into national law) and developing adapted response mechanisms by NECCA, with the support of field organisations when possible.
NECCA, as the national agency in charge of protected areas in Greece, has co-designed this project together with the Monk Seal Alliance, and will coordinate it. This has never been tested before -this project aims to fill the gaps between NGOs with limited reach and leverages and the authorities' responsibility to comply with European Directives and objectives with regards to protection of sensitive species and habitats.
Current funding concerns only the "planning phase" of the project, which will refine the action-plan already prepared, in consultation with various stakeholders including monk seal experts and conservation organisations in Greece.
