One would assume that after a decade of reports of “iconic” endangered species such as mediterranean seal and caretta caretta turtle the public would at least know some basic things, like… that these are wild animals that shouldn’t be disturbed. On the contrary, tourism today threatens the presence of seals in inner Ionian archipelago, not only because of the increase in the number of boats, but also because the presence of seals on some of the islets… is projected as a tourist attraction. Three organizations involved in its protection in the area, together with the municipality of Lefkada, have applied for a small protected area, a proposal supported by the Monaco Prince Albert Foundation.

The Inner Ionian Archipelago, between Lefkada and Aetoloakarnia, is a beautiful sea area full of islets and rocky islets of particularly high ecological value. One of its features is the presence of marine mammals, especially the most endangered of them in the Mediterranean, the Mediterranean seal. Tethys International Research Institute has been present in the region since 1991 with the support of The Monk Seal Alliance. “We started by looking at the presence of the common dolphin, which has been drastically reduced in numbers due to overfishing in the area and consequently food shortages,” explains Ioan Gontalvo, director of the Ionian Dolphins Project. “In 2012, we found the frequent presence of the Mediterranean seal in the area, so our program gradually moved to monitoring it. We have recorded about 30 seals frequenting the area.”

But in the last 2-3 years there have been huge changes. “On the one hand, boat tourism, such as sailing and small pleasure boats, has increased significantly. On the other hand, the behavior of visitors has also changed. They don’t just go swimming or anchor for the night, they come specifically to see the seals. In fact, there are times when bathers enter the caves that the seals use for their breeding. As a result, seals run away to avoid humans. If it happens that a mother seal with her baby is in a cave, if she feels threatened, she will leave her and run away, and the baby, of course, will not survive.

The high number of boats anchored in the area also causes other problems. “The inner Ionian archipelago has the rich grasslands of Poseidonia. These are valuable habitats that support marine biodiversity as well as natural carbon dioxide ‘storage’,” explains Yiannis Jovos, director of environmental organization iSea. “Systematic mooring is destroying these meadows, a lot of damage has already been done. Illegal fishing is also causing damage: there are at least two boats that are systematically caught by trawlers, which the Coast Guard is aware of, but does not take any action.

Four organizations, the Tethys Institute, iSea, the Blue Marine Foundation and the municipality of Lefkada, submitted a joint proposal to the Ministry of the Environment for the declaration of a small protected area centered on the islands of the archipelago. The proposal is also supported by the Fund Prince Albert of Monaco, which in the spring pointed out in a letter to the Ministry of the Environment about the danger to the Mediterranean seal in the Ionian Sea.

The Ministry of the Environment has so far given a positive response. In his response to the Fund, he announces the temporary protection of the sea area through a ministerial decision that establishes restrictions on access and fishing. “While the Greek government has made significant commitments to protect the Monachus monachus seal, in particular through the development of Natura area management plans and the currently approved National Action Plan for this species, it may take years to actually implement them in the field. taking into account the required human and material resources. Meanwhile, growing anthropogenic pressure is a growing threat to the species,” notes the Prince Albert Foundation in Monaco.