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Cultural and socio-economic factors in marine protected areas 125

postgraduate) are held. There is a visitor centre and research (3) The protection of other rare and threatened plant and
activities are conducted at the marine laboratory and at the animal species on the islands.
nearby CNR Institute. Approximately 145 000 tourists (4) The development of the area through the sustainable use
visited the Reserve between 1990 and 1995. of its resources.

Other Italian reserves The human population of the area is about 3000 and is prin-
In the Tremiti Reserve, the managing authority has proved cipally employed in fishing, stock farming, agriculture and a
inadequate. At present, illegal fishing is still problematic and flourishing tourism sector. The main socio-economic regu-
the Reserve has still not been delimited. Capo Rizzuto is a lations in the Park affect the tourism and fisheries sectors,
very new Reserve and even anecdotal data are unavailable. and take into consideration the contradiction inherent in the
Managers claim that there have been increases in tourism and aims of protection and socio-economic development
fishing. A number of associations, such as Nautilus in Sicily, (Giaoutzi & Nijkamp 1992). Since 1986, the Park has been
have distributed questionnaires to the community around the run experimentally and there has been limited access to visi-
Marine Reserve. Comments collected included the following: tors in certain parts of the marine area. In addition, fishing
‘You want to put everything inside a glass case, both has been controlled by a number of regulations regarding
humans and things’, ‘I don’t like the word “reserve”, I hate fishing zones, periods and types of net. Tourists, sports boats
it. It reminds me of the American Indians, who were ranched and fishers are prohibited from entering some areas (Dikou
and abandoned’, ‘You environmentalists are destroying our 1995). As mentioned above, one of the main institutional
society. You are only able to isolate us and deny us our right aims of the Park is to protect the habitat of the highly endan-
to work and live in our territory. This reserve is useless if the gered monk seal, Monachus monachus (Elliniki Etairia 1994).
needs of people like us who live far away from the mainland Great effort has been made to convince local fishers of
are not taken into account’, and ‘They should train us first the benefits to be gained from protection of the area and,
and then start the reserve. It is always like this: first they more specifically, the seal, and that despite prohibitive
construct the cover and then the well’. regulations, this protection will eventually lead to an increase
in fish stocks in the area. Fishing by purse seines and trawlers
is prohibited in the area and fishers have been offered
Greece
incentives to encourage them to protect the monk seal.
The National Marine Park of Alonnisos, Northern Sporades Traditional occupations and ecotourism have also been
Islands was established in 1992 and is protected under the supported.
519/92 Presidential Decree. However, it is not yet fully func- Protection has also been encouraged through the
tional. The Ministry of the Environment has the authority promotion of public awareness (Elliniki Etairia 1995).
and responsibility for running the Park, which encompasses Various non-governmental organizations have been autho-
seven islands, namely the uninhabited Island of Alonnisos, rized to undertake this task in a number of ways, through
which is the biggest, the thinly populated islands of Kyra information offices on the island, environmental education in
Panagia, Yioura, Piperi, Peristera and Skanzoura, and 22 schools throughout the country with emphasis on the monk
small islets. seal, publications, lectures, exhibitions and other activities
The main institutional aims of the NMPANS are the (Dikou 1995). Another area in Greece which is currently
following: under protection and will in the near future be established as
a National Marine Park is Zakynthos Island in the Ionian Sea.
(1) The protection, conservation and management of the The main institutional aim of this Park will be the protection
wildlife and landscape, which constitute a natural heri- of the nesting population of the marine turtle Caretta caretta.
tage and a valuable national resource, in extended marine Several areas of the island are already subjected to special
and terrestrial areas of the Northern Sporades islands. regulations concerning building, boating, fishing and tourist
(2) The protection of the most important habitats of the activities. In some periods of the year any approaching what-
monk seal Monachus monachus which is high on the list of soever of the nesting site is prohibited.
species threatened with extinction.

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