NATURA 2000 SITES ON LESBOS

	What are they?
	What does designation mean?
	What is proposed for Lesbos? Gulf of Kalloni Gulf of Gera Petrified Forest of Sigri-Eressos
	Friends of Green Lesbos Campaign

What are they?
Natura 2000 is the European Union-wide network of nature conservation sites to be established under the EC Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) and under the EC Wild Birds Directive (79/409/EEC). Sites established under the Habitats Directive are known as Special Areas of Conservation. Sites established under the Wild Birds Directive are known as Special Protection Areas.

 

What does designation mean?
The objective of the Directive is to safeguard European biodiversity through designating and protecting key sites. The Directive requires member governments to identify these sites and take steps to protect them ensuring that they have what is called favourable conservation status. Its main provisions are in Article 6.

Article 6(1) requires member states to establish the necessary conservation measures. These measures may include a management plan for each site. They must include 'appropriate statutory, administrative or contractual measures' to meet the ecological needs of the sites. These may include agri-environmental schemes involving agreements with farmers to manage the land in the appropriate ways.

Article 6(2) requires member states to take appropriate steps to avoid the deterioration of natural habitats in Special Areas of Conservation and the disturbance of the species for which the areas have been designated.

Article 6(3) requires member states to review any plans or projects that may affect the favourable conservation status of the sites and to permit them to proceed only if they are not likely to damage the integrity of the sites.

Article 6(4) requires that where, 'for imperative reasons of overriding public interest including those of a social or economic nature' plans or projects that damage the integrity of the sites are implemented, member states must take compensatory measures such as designating additional areas.

 

What is proposed for Lesbos? 
The current proposals are for 3 sites:

 

Gulf of Kalloni proposed Special Area of Conservation.  The wetlands of the Gulf of Kalloni, with the exception of the Gulf entrance (Makara in the south west corner and Nyfida in the south east corner) are already a Special Protection Area. The wetlands include a number of habitat types (such as types of tidal sand flats and salt marshes) listed in Annex 1 of the Habitats Directive and should therefore become an Special Area of Conservation. The proposed Special Area of Conservation is much broader than the Special Protection Area and includes the mouth of the Gulf, the Gulf itself and the surrounding pine forests. The wetlands, the pine forests and the marine environment will be designated as Nature Protection Zones under Greek National Law 1650/86. The rest of the area will be designated as an Ecotourism Zone under the same National Law. Specific regulations and basic management requirements are proposed for each zone and for specific sites within each zone. The proposals are in the final stage of acceptance by the Authorities although some problems still exist, mainly concerning the limits to be set on construction activities within the zones.

[click here for a report by Carol Christ on a meeting to discuss the proposals for the Gulf of Kalloni].

Gulf of Gera proposed Special Area of Conservation  The Gulf of Gera and its wetlands, together with Mount Olympos, are also a proposed Special Area of Conservation, although the Greek Habitats Committee has accorded them a lower priority than the Gulf of Kalloni. The Hellenic Ornithological Society has classified the Gulf of Gera as satisfying the criteria for an Special Protection Area and it will eventually become one. Some progress has recently been made towards that objective.

The Petrified Forest of Sigri-Eressos proposed Special Area of Conservation.  We currently have no information on this proposal although we understand that it is relatively uncontroversial.

	there should be a Management Plan for each site  [Section 6(1)]
	agri-environmental schemes for the wetlands of the two gulfs with payment to the farmers for managing the land to conserve its favourable conservation status should be introduced  [Section 6(1)]
	immediate steps be taken to stop the reclamation of Parakoila Marsh by the dumping of aggregates and to stop dumping also at Dipi Larssos, around the Kalloni Saltpan (pictured here on the right) and on the West River at Skala Kallonis  [Section 6(2)]

	immediate steps be taken to eliminate the pollution of the Aghia Paraskevi Stream that discharges into the perimeter dyke of the Kalloni Saltpans, the Lisvorio River that is discharging into the Gulf of Kalloni near the Skala Polychnitou Saltpans and the Evergetoulas river which discharges into the Gulf of Gera at the wetland of Dipi Larssos  [Section 6(2)]
	a more suitable site be found for the horse racing track that has been constructed on wetlands adjacent to the Kalloni Saltpans and the present site be restored  [Section 6(3)]