Gyaros: A victory for nature, a bet on the future

Known little for its earthy wealth than it is for its laden history, Gyaros – the “death island” of communist exiles that so deserves our remembrance – is besides location to highly important biodiversity and a singular earthy landscape. In galore countries, an land with such characteristics would person prompted timely enactment from the state for its extortion and advancement.

In Greece, it took a afloat 13 years from the start of efforts to this extremity spearheaded by WWF Greece and different organizations, and 8 years aft an authoritative committedness was made by the Ministry of Environment and Energy, earlier the statesmanlike decree establishing the Gyaros Marine Protected Area (MPA) was yet signed connected April 20. The extortion of this very special country has, for the archetypal time, been fixed a imperishable and wide ineligible status, with defined zones and absorption rules. After years of systematic work and the concerted efforts of galore actors, the organization model for the area’s semipermanent extortion is present secured.

Formal ineligible designation is lone the archetypal step, however. What does it take for a protected country to relation effectively? The acquisition of Gyaros points to three indispensable ingredients: knowledge, implementation, and cooperation.

Knowledge: There tin beryllium nary absorption without knowledge. For implicit a decade, universities, probe institutes and biology organizations person been systematically collecting information connected Gyaros so due measures tin beryllium designed and their effectiveness assessed. Long-term probe by the Hellenic Ornithological Society, for example, led to the find of a peculiarly important colony of Yelkouan shearwater, a seabird. At the aforesaid time, probe by the Hellenic Center for Marine Research shows that the sportfishing prohibition successful the country has led to a singular betterment of food stocks.

Implementation: The installation of an precocious system for distant monitoring connected Gyaros had led to an 85% simplification successful amerciable sportfishing and was recognized by the European Union arsenic a champion signifier for each of Europe successful 2025. It demonstrates that rules lone present results when they are consistently enforced.

Cooperation: This is the third and arguably astir important ingredient. Participation by nonrecreational fishers, probe institutes, ministries, section authorities and biology organizations was decisive. The trust that was built and the shared vision that too signifier thanks to transparent practices and lengthy consultation, are a solid instauration for the future. Cooperation with the Natural Environment & Climate Change Agency (NECCA) was different milestone, arsenic was the determination to springiness it work for managing the area.

Unfortunately, the wide representation for the country’s protected areas is still highly problematic.

Despite Greece’s censure by the European Union backmost successful 2020, the 23 special biology studies required earlier a statesmanlike decree tin beryllium issued are still sitting successful drawers astatine the Ministry of Environment and Energy, adjacent though they should person been completed by 2021. Out of a total of 174 marine protected areas within the Natura 2000 web successful Greece, the Gyaros decree was lone the 4th to beryllium issued.

There are reasons to beryllium optimistic, however. The government’s inaugural to make two caller marine parks successful the southern Cyclades and the Ionian opens up important prospects connected a larger scale. Here, studies were completed connected clip and approved very recently. The adjacent captious step is to hole the draught statesmanlike decrees arsenic σύντομα arsenic imaginable and to submit them to the Council of State for approval.

The time aft is already here. The statesmanlike decree does not correspond the extremity of the road, but the start of a caller signifier that concerns effectual management. This means implementation of the provisions successful the decree, adequately staffing the absorption units, systematically monitoring ecosystems and enforcing effectual oversight. It besides means investing successful nationalist consciousness and sustainable visitation, so that society tin travel to understand and support the value of these areas.

Gyaros proves that biology extortion tin succeed successful Greece, but besides that it takes time, consistency, practice and radical who are dedicated, knowledgeable and eager. If we want the caller marine parks and the country’s protected areas wide to truly go sanctuaries of beingness and drivers of section sustainable development, we indispensable determination overmuch faster, drafting connected the acquisition and lessons learned from places similar Gyaros. Its success is simply a crushed for optimism. But it is besides a reminder that there is still overmuch work ahead. It is worth the effort.

Dimitris Karavellas is CEO of WWF Greece.