Endangered Mediterranean monk seal gets new allies at the Alonissos marine park

New alliances are being forged on the Greek island of Alonissos to bolster the protection of the National Marine Park, an important habitat for the endangered Mediterranean monk seal, among other species.

The understaffed park management agency and overworked coast guard have joined forces with activists, non-governmental organizations and local fishermen in a bid to safeguard the park's biodiversity, but also the interests of the local community that stem from its operation. Recent studies are already pointing to a stabilization in the area's seal and fish populations as a result of this effort.
The National Marine Park of Alonissos was established in 1992 and after being expanded in 2018 to include significant parts of the area off the coasts of Skopelos and Skiathos to reach 2,315 square kilometers, is one of the largest protected marine zone in the Mediterranean....

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