The Island wetlands of Greece are key habitats for the conservation of rare and endemic plant and animal genetic material and very important stop-overs and refueling sites for millions of migrating and wintering birds. Within the framework of the WWF Greece project “Conservation of the Island Wetlands of Greece” 785 wetlands in 75 Greek islands have been identified (444 in 61 islands of the Aegean, 228 in Crete and 3 satellite islands and 113 in 10 Ionian Islands). Out of these, only 2 are adequately protected and have some kind of sound environmental management. The majority of Greece˘s Island wetlands are coastal, ground-water fed, with fluctuating salinity or they are small estuaries of seasonal streams/rivers with or without coastal marshes. With the exception of the few wetlands that are found in inaccessible sites, the rest are been increasingly degraded and shrinked during the last decades. In order of impact, clearing, filling with rubble, building and road construction, pollution, draining, over-pumping, deprivation of fresh-water inputs and over-grazing are the main drivers of degradation. Wetlands are unquestionably the most threatened habitats of the Greek islands, and in fact of the whole country. During strategic assessments and discussions within the WWF offices of the Mediterranean, they have indeed been identified as some of the most important and fragile ecosystems of the whole Mediterranean.
The object of this Round Table Discussion is to bring together experts in wetlands and wetland-depended species in order to present existent knowledge and experiences, highlight important issues affecting their viability and articulate some approaches to their solutions. Discussions during the round table will be summoned under a common statement highlighting importance and threats and calling for action and support. This statement should be addressed to all involved actors: the Greek government, the European Commission, Donor agencies, NGOs and the academia. The discussion will also consider the difficult and complex task of rehabilitating the most endangered island wetlands that have been severely damaged but cannot support economically sustainable use.
Kaloust Paragamian & Giorgos Catsadorakis, WWF Greece
Overview of Workshop
Dr. Dietrich Ristow Introduced talk Thirty five years of bird monitoring in a Greek islet. The case of Dionysades
Special issues a. The update of the Greek Red Data List for Birds. (George Handrinos & Thanos Kastritis) b. The new edition of the Greek Important Bird Areas Book. (Danae Portolou) c. Midwinter Waterfowl Counts. Compilation of data for the last 25 years. (Savas Kazantzidis & Haralambos Alivizatos) d. Citizen's Science. Using volunteers to gather reliable field data for birds. The future steps. (Tasos Dimalexis) e. Windfarms and Birds. The situation in Greece and the role of HOS. (Tasos Dimalexis) f. The study of birds in Greece. Priorities for action. (Savas Kazantzidis)
Tasos Dimalexis, Biologist PhD HOS Conservation Director
