Protection secured for uninhabited Gyaros islet, key habitat for endangered seals

Gyaros and the ruins of the detention halfway for governmental prisoners. [Handout/Giorgos Stefanou/WWF]

Greece has yet signed into effect authorities securing the status arsenic a marine protected country of the uninhabited but richly biodiverse islet of Gyaros successful the Cyclades land group, the Greek subdivision of the World Wide Fund for Nature said Monday.

WWF Greece hailed Thursday’s signing of a statesmanlike decree connected Gyaros arsenic a “decisive milestone,” saying it officially defines extortion zones that had until present lone been provisionally established, and outlines specific absorption rules. 

Lying northwest of Syros successful the cardinal Aegean Sea, Gyaros is simply a cardinal situation for the endangered Mediterranean monk seal and hosts 1 of its largest populations. 

“This imperishable model tin guarantee that the island’s earthy wealth is preserved implicit the agelong term, while besides supporting, done this protection, the section communities of the Northern Cyclades,” WWF said successful a statement.

Signing of the statesmanlike decree had been pending since 2018.

A spot of exile successful Roman times, Gyaros has been uninhabited since soon aft World War II when a detention halfway for governmental prisoners was built there that remained successful use until 1974. After that it was agelong used arsenic a naval target range. The islet belongs administratively to Syros.

Over the past 13 years, WWF and 50 different organizations has taken a nonstop involvement successful Gyaros, documenting its sizeable earthy wealth, conducting technological probe and introducing caller absorption practices – including an innovative distant surveillance system WWF installed there and operated from 2015 to 2023

WWF said that since 2013 it has seen a betterment of terrestrial and marine habitats, accrued food stocks and the conservation of populations of uncommon and endangered species such arsenic the monk seal and the Yelkouan shearwater.

“Gyaros proves that when we articulation forces astir a communal vision, quality extortion and sustainable improvement go reality,” said Dimitris Karavellas, wide manager of WWF Greece.

The Gyaros distant surveillance system won designation from the European Commission arsenic a champion signifier for each of Europe. It’s present operated by the Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency, which manages the country successful practice with Greece’s Coast Guard. 

“Gyaros stands arsenic a applicable illustration of effectual practices and tools that tin constituent the way toward due absorption of the country’s different Marine Protected Areas, arsenic well arsenic the two caller marine parks successful the Southern Cyclades and the Ionian,” the WWF statement said.