Success for our wetlands petition!
[news item September 2004]
Heartiest congratulations and thanks to all the many members and non-members who signed our petition on the protection of the Kalloni wetlands. We achieved a success!
In response to our demand for action under Natura 2000 to protect the Kalloni wetlands the Nomarch of Lesbos, Limnos and Agios Efstratios, Pavlos Vogiatzis asked the Ministry |of the Environment and Development in Athens to issue a legally binding ruling on the matter. The Ministry confirmed that the Kalloni wetlands were to be included in the Natura 2000 network. They were a Special Protection Area (SPA) under the EC Birds Directive and were a RAMSAR site. But the legal processes that would ensure the full protection of the wetlands under Natura 2000 were not yet complete and the Municipality of Kalloni was instructed to ensure their completion as soon as possible. But the completion of the legal processes was not necessary to protect the wetlands. The Ministry ruled that they were already fully protected under the Ramsar convention. In consequence activities such as landfill, drainage and cultivation that destroyed or damaged the ecological features of the area were illegal. The Nomarchia was told to take the necessary steps to safeguard the integrity of the Kalloni wetlands.
The Nomarchia decided to place responsibility for enforcement of the law in the hands of the Authority for the Control of the Quality of the Environment (KEPPE). In February 2004 we received a letter from the Directorate of Town Planning and the Environment in Mytilini, saying that `as soon as the weather and the workloads of three different services permit’ KEPPE would investigate our allegations that illegal activities were damaging the wetlands.
KEPPE carried out its investigations in April and found five sites where damaging activities had taken place. On the 20th May orders were issued against three companies: Vavoukli Brothers & Co. OE of Kalloni; Paleologou Brothers ΑΒΕΕ of Agia Paraskevi and Μ. Halkodemon ΑΒΕΕ of Kalloni for infilling of the wetlands. Each was fined 3000 Euros and ordered to remove their infilling and reinstate the wetland within two months. An order was also issued against Georgios and Harry Roumeliotis of Arisve. They were each fined 1500 Euros for a similar offence and given the same conditions and timetable for restitution. Finally on the 14th June Mrs Anastasia Salma-Kolasi of Parakoila was fined 350 Euros for infilling and again given 2 months to reinstate. If at the expiry of the two-month period the sites have not been restored further fines will be imposed. The companies and individuals who have had orders made against them have been given 30 days to appeal to the General Secretary of the Region of North Aegean against the decisions and 45 days to appeal to the Court of First Instance.
The infilling by Vavoukli Brothers & Co. OE is the marsh to the right as you turn onto the saltpans road at the Kalloni Saltpans. Mr Elias Vavoukli says that he intends to build on the site
Paleologou Brothers ABEE is one of those responsible for infilling on the developing industrial site on the Kambos of Agia Paraskevi, i.e., on the Agia Paraskevi side of the Mytilini- Kalloni road. The Roumeliotis brothers have also been reclaiming parts of the Kambos.
Μ. Halkodemon ΑΒΕΕ has been reclaiming the wetlands on the other side of the road adjacent to the Kalloni salt-pans.
Finally the infilling of Mrs Anastasia Salma-Kolasi is at Parakoila Marsh. We believe it relates to the area adjacent to the coastal road.
Thus with the exception of the land at Kalloni Pool, which we discuss in the next news item, our petition has achieved action at all of the main sites that we have been concerned about. It is important that we follow up this success and ensure that the process of reclamation ceases and is reversed. If anyone, member or non-member, notices landfilling or other destruction of the wetlands in the Gulf of Kalloni please send us the details and site location (accompanied by a photograph if possible) and we will forward the details to KEPPE.
Of course it is important that the legal rulings of KEPPE are enforced. We will be monitoring the situation and taking further action, including if necessary through the courts, to ensure that the wetlands are restored. We are delighted that STELLA KALOGEROPOULOU, a lawyer based in Mytilini has kindly agreed to handle the legal processes on our behalf. We welcome her to the team. Her details will shortly be included in the Personalities section of our website.
We are delighted that the legal processes leading to Natura 2000 are to be expedited and will be monitoring this also.
We thank the authorities for their positive response to our petition and promise them our full cooperation in defending the wetlands and in protecting and enhancing the environment of the beautiful Island of Lesbos. Special thanks are due also to our co-petitioners Y Datinos. Since we share the same aims and objectives we anticipate working with them again. We would like also to thank Eleni Galinou for translating the petition into Greek.
