Enlargement of the marine protected areas’ network of Greece to meet the 30% target

Greece, is firmly committed to the protection, conservation and restoration of its marine ecosystems, aiming to the further expansion of the network of its marine protected areas (MPAs). 

The coverage of marine protected areas in the territorial waters of Greece, drastically increased in 2018 from 6% until mid 2017 to around 18%, overshooting target 14.5 by a safe margin.

MPAs in Greece currently occupy an area of 22,796 km2 and cover 18.3% of the country's marine waters. According to national legislation (Law 5037/2023), MPAs have to expand to 30% of Greek territorial waters by 2030. 

To meet this target, Greece aims to establish two additional marine national parks covering over 32% of the country's territorial waters, namely: 

a) the Ionian Marine National Park (from north of Kefallonia to south of Antikythira) with a total area of over 14,000 km2 (including the existing Natura 2000 areas of 3,668.86 km2). The park covers over 11% of Greek territorial waters, the Ionian segment of the Hellenic trench being its core (a net increase of Greek MPAs of more than 8%) building on the 13 existing Natura 2000 sites in the area. The park is established because the area is very important for marine mammals such as Physeter macrocephalus, Ziphius cavirostris and Stenella coeruleoalba. Furthermore, there is significant presence of seals Monachus monachus as well as dolphins Grampus griseus, Delphinus delphis and Tursiops truncatus. The area includes one of the most important areas for the nesting of Caretta caretta, areas with Posidonia oceanic and Cystoseira sp. as well as the natural habitat type of reefs. In deep waters, there are also coral formations and deep-sea corals are marine biogenic habitats of high conservation value. 

b) the Aegean Marine National Park with a total area of over 8,000 km2 (including the existing Natura 2000 areas of 545 km2). The park covers 6.61% of Greek territorial waters, (a net increase of Greek MPAs of over 6%). The core of the marine park is the small rocky islets, almost all of them being already designated as Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs), and the surrounding marine environment. It builds on 13 existing Natura 2000 areas in the area to expand the protection towards the sea. The main objective is to protect the wild birds that are in abundance in the area, i.e. sea birds such as Phalacrocorax aristotelis desmarestii, Larus audouinii and Calonectris diomedea as well as Puffinus yelkouan that use the sea as a feeding ground. In most of the islets there are also colonies of Falco eleonorae, whereas in Antimilos the Aquila fasciata is reproduced. The islets of the proposed park are also used by many migratory bird species for food and as a resting station during the spring and autumn migration. Furthermore, there is significant presence of seals Monachus monachus as well as dolphins such as Delphinus delphis and Tursiops truncatus, whereas, at deeper waters, there are cetaceans such as Physeter macrocephalus, Stenella coeruleoalba and Ziphius cavirostris.