A newly hatched loggerhead turtle makes its way to the sea
Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
ATHENS, 6 June 2006 - The Greek government has released 1.2 million euros (A$2 million) and taken a series of steps to protect a rare breed of sea turtle, Environment Minister George Souflias said on Monday.
Souflias marked environment day on Monday with a trip to the national marine park of Zakynthos, the biggest habitat in the Mediterranean for the endangered loggerhead turtle.
The European Court of Justice criticised Greece in 2002 for failing to protect the loggerhead turtle.
The minister said the situation in 2004, when his conservative government came to power, had been "tragic" and that the country had been "under threat of a second European Court condemnation".
He said the government had released 1.2 million euros to fund the park in the past year, and was considering whether to increase its funding to 8.5 million euros before 2008, from the planned 1.6 million euros.
He also said the authorities had hired 40 guards to carry out a 24-hour watch on the park, as well as organising regular sea patrols to protect the turtles.
The beach has in recent years suffered an explosion of intensive and illegal development, which threatens both the turtle eggs and the baby turtles.
Local environmental campaigners have over the years been subjected to physical attacks and other criminal acts.
In a joint statement released Monday, the World Wildlife Fund, the Union for the Protection of the Sea Turtle and the Mediterranean Union for the Protection of the Sea Turtle denounced the way the authorities have handled the issue.
The environmental pressure groups were particularly critical of the illegal construction they say goes on "in secret".
