Conservation groups complain to EU
[news item 7th September 2009]
Faced with the persistent failure of the Greek
authorities to implement Natura 2000 and to protect the wetlands, Friends
of Green Lesbos, in partnership with Nautilos en Drasi and WWF Hellas have
filed a complaint with the European Union. The complaint charts in great
detail the tangled history of our attempts to protect the wetlands and is
accompanied by over 50 pages of documents. Illegal reclamation and
building is taking place all round the Gulf of Kalloni from Nifida to
Apothika. Development has been particularly serious along the
Mytilini-Kalloni Road and around the Skala Kalloni pool.
Complaints to the Nomarchia have resulted in the
imposition of fines but these have not stopped the problem and there has
been no restoration of habitat. It is a similar story on the Gulf of Gera
at Dipi. The Nomarch has consistently refused to increase fines in the
face of non-compliance thereby destroying their deterrence effect and
indeed, perversely, increasing the pressure for development to cover their
cost.
No progress has been made with completing the Plan for
the Wetlands through which Natura 2000 should be implemented. In the face
of opposition, particularly from some property owners in Parakoila
demanding that their land is taken out of the Natura boundaries, the
prospects for completion have in fact reduced.
While Friends prefers to proceed by agreement and would
rather cooperate with the Authorities than oppose them we and our partners
see no reasonable prospect of progress on this route.