Issue No.14 (March ‘15-Feb. ‘16)
The Circular Economy: “Healthy Seas” … new socks, swimwear, carpets and more from abandoned fishing nets.
CONTENTS
A worn out fishing net that has reached the end of its useful life and has been abandoned at sea by its owner can carry on ‘fishing’ endlessly as it drifts with the currents. Nets such as these are responsible for the needless deaths of hundreds of marine creatures – sea turtles among them – and that is why they are known as “ghost nets”. MEDASSET is a partner in the innovative “Healthy Seas: A journey from waste to wear” initiative, which acts to remove “ghost nets” from the seabed. The nets are recycled to make premium quality ECONYL® yarn, which in turn is used in the manufacture of brand new consumer products, such as socks, swimwear, carpets… and more. Once the nets have been collected they are put into large, specially designed holding sacks and sent by road to dedicated cleaning facilities in Turkey and Lithuania. From there they travel on to Slovenia for processing and conversion into yarn. “Healthy Seas” is a joint venture by NGO, ECNC Group (European Centre for Nature Conservation), and two businesses: Aquafil Group and Star Sock. The three joined forces to deal with the problem of “ghost nets.” The initiative aims to be sustainable in both environmental and economic terms, since
the nets that are brought to the surface don’t end up in landfill sites but are transformed into new, eco-friendly products that are not only attractive but also commercially viable. MEDASSET is Country Coordinator for “Healthy Seas” in Greece. During 2015 we worked with both fishermen’s associations and commercial fish farms around the country to collect nets that were no longer in use. In parallel, we organised for teams of professional divers to pull up “ghost nets” from the seabed. All together we collected 22 tons of nets! Throughout the year we have been publicising the initiative’s actions, informing the public and raising awareness of the problems caused by ghost nets. The positive results of our efforts, i.e. the amount of nets collected, the TV and other media coverage that has acted to raise public awareness, and the interest shown by all those that have collaborated to make this project a success, have led to the decision to continue with it for a second year. Which means we will soon be taking even more action to protect our seas! Lily Venizelos MEDASSET Founder & President
“HEALTHY SEAS: A Journey from Waste to Wear”
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CAMPAIGNS
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RESEARCH
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AWARNESS RAISING
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EDUCATION
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ΕVENTS & PARTICIPATIONS
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PRESTIGIOUS AWARD
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COP 21 OUTCOMES
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GIFTS
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SPONSORS & SUPPORTERS
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CAMPAIGNS MEDASSET’s 2015 sea turtle habitat assessment leads to Bern Convention decisions. For the 27th year in succession, MEDASSET participated in the annual meeting of the Bern Convention at the Council of Europe (35th Standing Committee Meeting, Strasbourg, France, 1-4 December 2015). We presented our sea turtle nesting beach assessments, raised our concerns and submitted recommendations. As a result, the Bern Convention adopted important decisions to monitor several sea turtle habitats and urge countries to step up protection.
Fethiye, Turkey: Lights shining on the beach disorientate hatchlings and is one of many impacts of uncontrolled development and lack of regulations enforcement.
TURKEY Fethiye & Patara (C. caretta*) Our campaigns to improve the protection of Patara (launched in 1988) and to halt severe degradation of the nesting beaches in Fethiye (launched in 2009), both protected under the Barcelona Convention, continued in 2015. We assessed the sites in early July and late August, and also participated in the Bern Convention’s on-the spot appraisal in late July, organising local stakeholder meetings in both sites. In Fethiye, there was no improvement in the protection and management of the site. The few measures taken a few days before the Bern Convention’s visit, were reversed shortly after our departure. Once again, we documented unregulated beach furniture and fixed structures inside the nesting zone, littering, light pollution, uncontrolled visitor and vehicle access, and several other threats to sea turtles, hatchlings and nests. A new huge resort launched operation on one of the last remaining pristine beach sections of Fethiye. Habitat destruction and unregulated coastal development continues, further reducing the available nesting habitat and increasing disturbances to sea turtles attempting to nest. In Patara, we recorded several conservation problems such as the complete lack of guarding, beach furniture obstructing nesting at night, littering and lack of information signs. Patara’s dunes are among the largest and most spectacular in Turkey; however, the deserted facilities of an illegal beach bar have not yet been removed from the dune. Behind the beach and
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inside Patara’s protected archaeological area, which is on UNESCO’s tentative list, a construction project of 300+ holiday homes continues: 27 villas were completed and inhabited this summer, and foundations for more villas were laid. Through our campaign we are urging authorities to adequately protect the habitat against pressures and disturbances that will increase many fold due to the much higher number of residents and visitors. The Bern Convention, alarmed by the findings of the on-the-spot assessment in July 2015 which confirmed our reports, adopted two Recommendations, asking Turkey to take urgent action to improve management and conservation of sea turtle habitats in Fethiye and Patara. Read our Press Release in English and Turkish about this very important milestone in our campaign to save Patara and Fethiye. * sporadic C.mydas nesting has been recorded in both sites, marking the species’ westernmost Mediterranean nesting range.
Kazanli (C. mydas) At the 2015 Bern Convention meeting, we stressed that severe coastal erosion is reducing the available habitat in Kazanli’s important green turtle nesting beach: just over the last 6-8 years we estimate that up to 19 meters of coast has been lost due to erosion. In addition, the 1.5 million tonnes of toxic waste deposited next to the beach by a soda-chromium factory, remains a pollution hazard for the habitat, sea turtles, human health and the Mediterranean Sea. The Turkish Delegate briefly informed about implementation of several measures
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that were prescribed by the Convention in 2002, explained that relocation of buildings and greenhouses away from the beach is pending legal processes and that there are plans for an erosion monitoring and control project. At last, good news was announced in relation to the toxic waste: transfer of neutralised waste to a special landfill has started and will be completed in 8 years. We welcomed the news but noted the considerable delay in comparison to previous commitments and urged for swifter action, as 13 years have already passed since the government was asked to solve conservation problems in Kazanli – Turkey’s top green turtle nesting site together with Akyatan and Samandag. The Bern Convention, recognised that though progress is slower than foreseen, there is some improvement, and decided to discuss the issue at the 2017 Standing Committee meeting, asking Turkey to implement pending measures and report back on progress made.
Limni, Cyprus: Most important C.caretta nesting beach in Cyprus will be heavily impacted if huge golf resort is allowed to build too close to shore. Photo: L.Sergides
GREECE Kyparissia Bay .
CYPRUS Akamas peninsula (C.caretta & C. mydas) Conservation problems in nesting sites in Akamas and adjoining Limni were brought to the attention of the Bern Convention in 1996 by MEDASSET on behalf of NGO Terra Cypria and a case file remains open since 1997.
Kyparissia: Top Mediterranean C.caretta nesting beach in danger of destruction, if protective law is not issued before May 2016 (Photo: ARCHELON)
Nesting beaches in South Kyparissia Bay host the second largest number of loggerhead nests in the Mediterranean. Although the site is a European NATURA 2000 protected area since 2002, the Greek government has failed to introduce and enforce the necessary conservation and management measures. As a result, the European Commission referred Greece to the European Court of Justice in March 2014 and the Bern Convention issued a 12-measure Recommendation in 2014 which includes a permanent construction ban in the core nesting area. The Greek Government has yet to take protective measures, and MEDASSET with other environmental NGOs are demanding from the Government to urgently issue a Presidential Decree that will ensure appropriate protective status. At the 2015 Bern Convention Standing Committee meeting, MEDASSET in collaboration with Greek NGO ARCHELON presented the continued site degradation and inadequate management of the site during summer 2015. Threats included sand dune destruction, illegal constructions on the beach, fishing,
vehicle access on the nesting beach, poor beach furniture management and light pollution. The Bern Convention took note of our concerns over the lack of progress during 2015, agreed that a Presidential Decree to grant appropriate protective status to the area is the most urgent measure needed, decided to keep the case-file open, and called on the Greek Government for urgent and full implementation of Recommendation No. 174 (2014). (More on pg. 4)
Protection of these habitats is to be ensured via their designation as European Natura 2000 sites and the implementation of appropriate management plans. The NGO report clearly illustrates that these most important sea turtle habitats are threatened more than ever: lack of management is increasing human disturbances and improper site designation will allow irreversible habitat damage, to the benefit of unsustainable development and in disregard of scientific advice. TerraCypria explained that the proposed Natura 2000 site boundaries in Limni do not adequately protect the sea turtle habitats, and that authorities plan to approve the development of a huge golf course and villa complex directly behind Limni’s beach, despite the expert opinion and NGO requests for a 475-500 m protective buffer zone between new buildings and the nesting beach. We jointly called on the Bern Convention to continue monitoring this issue by keeping the file open and to encourage Cypriot authorities to adequately protect and manage Akamas and Limni with no further delay. The Bern Convention decided to keep the case-file open, in light of the ongoing infringement procedure at the European Commission level.
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ZAKYNTHOS: “Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose”: Τhe saga of a multi protected habitat • The first nesting activity in Eastern Sekania and Gerakas beach (Laganas Bay) was observed on 19th May 2015. • A fire that started on July 18th, 2015 destroyed hundreds of acres of forest and scrub, from Skopos Mountain down to Kalamaki, reaching as far as Sekania beach, which is the beach with the highest number of loggerhead turtle nests in the Mediterranean. • In December 2015, an illegally constructed
road, one kilometer in length, that lies within the Zakynthos National Marine Park, cut through the landscape from the hilltop all the way down to the beach. This makes a mockery of the area’s multiple layers of protected status. In January 2016, MEDASSET, acting in concert with other interested environmental organisations, responded immediately; putting pressure on all responsible local and National authorities to restore the damage, and alerting the European Commission.
KYPARISSIA BAY: ONE YEAR OF CONTINUOUS PRESSURE HAS FINALLY PAID OFF Following the Council of Europe’s “Recommendation No. 174 for the case file Greece: Threats to marine turtles in Thines Kyparissias” in 2014, which urged Greece to prevent habitat deterioration and ensure improved protection of Southern Kyparissia Bay, MEDASSET, in cooperation with other Environmental NGOs, lobbied the Greek state for the implementation of the Recommendation. The Hellenic Council of State, the Supreme Administrative Court of Greece, taking into account the above-mentioned Recommendation and our intervention, ruled against the previous draft Presidential Decree on Kyparissia bay that had been made by the Greek Government in April 2015, since it wouldn’t have granted the area the necessary protected status.
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Although the Council of State urged that a new Presidential Degree be issued, this was not done until February 2016. Twenty years after the Greece’s first referral to the European Court of Justice for failing to ensure protected status for Caretta caretta sea turtles, the general prosecutor of the European court suggested on Thursday, February 18 that Greece be convicted of failure to introduce measures to protect the Gulf of Kyparissia. In order to avoid this, the Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy finally put a draft Presidential Decree out for public consultation on 26th February 2016. MEDASSET, together with the other environmental NGOs, will comment on the draft and intensify its efforts to achieve the
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maximum possible protection for Southern Kyparissia Bay.
RESEARCH ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT – POLICE SAVE SEA TURTLES FROM SLAUGHTER IN FISH MARKETS
Photo Courtesy of W.Α. Elmissiry
Egyptian authorities confiscated sea turtles that were being illegally traded by fishmongers in Alexandria’s fish markets. The Egyptian Ministry of Environment organised a successful operation in coordination with environmental police authorities on 24th May 2015, after MEDASSET had alerted them to the resurgence of illegal sea turtle trade in Alexandria’s fish markets. A local citizen group, that is taking action against the illegal captivity of wildlife, assisted the police operation.
released back into the sea. The shells of slaughtered green and loggerhead turtles, as well as one of a rare leatherback turtle, were also found. MEDASSET supplied the authorities with information on the fishmongers involved in the illegal trade, following our recent assessment of the current status of the illegal sea turtle trade, which was conducted with help from a local volunteer, Sherif Abdullah, and our representative in Egypt, Mohamed Nada, during September 2014-March 2015.
turtles are being sourced from fishermen and are illegally sold, mainly by fishmongers, who are keeping the sea turtles alive, turned onto their backs, until they are slaughtered for consumption. The shells of slaughtered turtles are also being illegally sold, as artefacts. MEDASSET welcomes the proactive approach being taken by Egyptian Ministry of Environment in response to the submission of our survey results. We will continue to work with the authorities to put an end to the illegal trade and consumption of sea turtles in Egypt. Learn more about the work we have been doing since 1993 to study and protect sea turtles in Egypt.
The premises of two fishmongers were inspected by the police and, as a result, nine sea turtles were confiscated alive and
Our survey revealed that both open and covert trading of sea turtles is occurring in 6 fish markets in 3 areas of Alexandria. The
Green turtle slaughter and meat preparation for sale to a sitting customer at El Medan public fish market. Turtles are kept alive upside down on the ground for 1-30 days
Nine live sea turtles and a leatherback carcass confiscated from a fishmonger who was involved in black trade of sea turtles. Photo (left) courtesy of Alexandria Live. Photo (right) courtesy of D.Zulficar
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AWARENESS RAISING “I SWEAR TO CARE”: THE FABULOUS PLEDGE This year and always, through taking action in ten simple ways, through showing respect and taking personal responsibility, we can keep our beaches clean and our seas brimming with life. Let’s take a look at what was achieved last Summer as a result of our “Clean Seas: Swear to Care” campaign…
HOTEL in Poros have all responded with enthusiasm. Hotel members in particular are valuable allies in the task of spreading the word about the vital importance of clean seas to their guests and they have been taking their own initiatives to enhance the protection of our shores.
Using the hashtag #SwearToCare, our Facebook friends have been sharing photos of their beach-cleaning actions all over Greece, and spreading the message about the need to protect our shores to their social media contacts. Our Facebook group already has more than 1,100 members, and it’s growing.
Prominent among our supporters are also some environmentally responsible businesses that have been encouraging their employees to make their own pledges and to go one step further by also taking action! So, in collaboration with the staff of Grant Thornton we cleaned up a popular beach in the near Athens, carting away 100 kg of rubbish. Pledges have also been made by other organisations, such as the online sailing magazine, SKIPPER ON DECK, and the young people’s volunteering platform, GloVo, who immediately decided to organise their own beach clean-up.
Using the slogan “We care for our host destinations. Will you join us?” we invited businesses connected with the tourist industry to become active members of our campaign. KOURMAS at Limeni in Upper Mani region, COSTA NAVARINO in Messinia, GRANDE BRETAGNE and KING GEORGE HOTELS in Central Athens, and NEW AEGLI
The campaign’s message was spread nationwide by radio and television. These media, which broadcasted our public service announcement (PSA) for two whole months in Greece featuring our celebrity Campaign Ambassadors, made a great contribution to our campaign. The PSA was also showed in screens on the Athens
Five hundred and ninety sea lovers have already made their promises on the dedicated website: www.katharesthalasses. gr/en
metro stations thanks to the collaboration of the Urban Rail Transport SA. Alpha Bank showed it on screens in 120 of its branches. With the support of Intelligent Media, it was also screened in private clinics across Greece. The Athens International Airport offered us five projection locations at the airport. Our awareness-raising PSA has now been viewed by over 6,850 friends on our YouTube channel and Facebook. The positive feedback by so many people have been making have us jumping for joy. You, too, can make a promise: Never to leave litter on the beach or throw it into the sea Never to “hide” your rubbish by burying it in the sand Never to drop cigarette butts on the beach If never, then you’re with us… for ever! Visit www.katharesthalasses.gr/en to choose the promises you feel you can make… and keep.
Enthusiastic Grant Thornton team after collecting 100 kg of rubbish!
SPECIAL OFFER! We are offering teachers and animators working with children aged between 6 and 12, a great opportunity to acquire free of charge, our environmental education kit “The Mediterranean Sea, A Source of Life”. The 50 pages of this innovative teaching tool use a variety of games and activities to take young and old alike on an exciting journey through the Mediterranean Sea, offering users encounters with many of its natural “principal players” – plants and animals, coastal ecosystems, cultures and history.
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Through its brief but always scientifically accurate information, the kit also presents the factors that threaten the Sea’s ecological balance. The kit, available in either English or Greek, can be collected from our office in Central Athens or you can write to medasset@medasset.org should you need different arrangements.
Turtle Dives -Annual edition (March ‘15-Feb. ‘16)
EDUCATION Turtles are visiting schools, thanks to support from the A. G. Leventis Foundation Thanks to the vital support we receive from the A. G. Leventis Foundation since 2014, MEDASSET has been able to run its prizewinning educational programme “Niretta the Caretta and marine litter”. The aim of the programme is for schoolchildren to become aware of the endangered sea turtles and of how important it is for us to go on protecting them. How did so much rubbish find its way into the sea? What does a plastic bag look like when it’s under water? Why does Niretta
feel anxious when she sees balloons in the sky? It is questions such as these, coming from pupils and their teachers alike, that our team of environmental education volunteers seeks to answer – with the help of our mascot, Niretta – as it carries out its visits to schools and to childrens’ festival in Attica. During 2016 Niretta will be travelling to more cities in northern Greece to offer even more schoolchildren an opportunity to learn about sea turtles.
ΕVENTS & PARTICIPATIONS Barcelona Convention Throughout 2015, MEDASSET actively participated in several Barcelona Convention meetings, organised under the UNEP Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP) and its Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas (RAC/SPA). Through our participation we supported actions to protect sea turtles in the Mediterranean and ensured that the decisions adopted sufficiently address their conservation needs. The Meeting of the Contracting Parties in February 2016 marked the Convention’s 40th anniversary. All Mediterranean countries committed to taking more measures to reduce pressures on the marine and coastal environment. Several of the decisions adopted will act to enhance existing commitments to the protection of sea turtles. One such is the implementation of the new “Ecosystem Approach” environmental monitoring programme. In her address to the meeting, MEDASSET’s President celebrated the gradual changes in focus that UNEP/MAP has embraced over the years, which, in fostering collaborations between NGOs and state institutions, have put the protection of biodiversity at the heart of the Barcelona Convention.
Meetings In May 2015, we were invited to attend the “1st Symposium on Photo-ID &
Conservation of Marine Turtles”, organised by the Fundacion Neotropico, in Tenerife, Canary Islands. We gave a presentation on “MEDASSET’s 26-years of sea turtle research & conservation in the Mediterranean” and discussed our experiences and views on the use of photo-identification of turtles as a research tool. We warmly thank the symposium sponsors and organisers for enabling our participation in this most successful meeting.
Dalaman, Turkey 35th International Sea Turtle Symposium
Observations of Sea Turtle Trade in Alexandria, Egypt”), co-chaired the Oral Session and the Poster Summary Session of Education, Outreach & Advocacy, cochaired the Children Activities workshop and the Video Night session. Additionally, we managed to contribute USD 1,000 to the ISTS’s Travel Grant Fund by running a “Sea Turtle Beauty Pageant” during the Live Auction Evening. Our participation in the 35th International Symposium on Sea Turtles was an excellent experience that allowed us to exchange information and ideas with scientists and network with organizations from around the globe.
Between 18-24/04/2015 MEDASSET participated in the tri-annual 5th Mediterranean Conference and the 35th International Symposium on Sea Turtles (ISTS), in Dalaman, Turkey. The 35th ISTS marked a very important milestone in our history since our President received the ISTS Lifetime Achievement Award for her dedication to the conservation of sea turtles through the work of MEDASSET. Our team was very active during each day of the Symposium. We presented a poster under the Fisheries & Threats session (Abdullah S.S., L. Boura, M. A. Nada. “New MEDASSET team, the President of the ISTS and teachers from Libya
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A SEA TURTLE BEAUTY PAGEANT IN TURKEY By Anna Stamatiou, General Secretary of MEDASSET Each year, over 800 people that care about sea turtles gather somewhere in the world to exchange views, share latest techniques and research findings, form alliances, and renew old friendships. MEDASSET can’t always be represented, as travel expenses can be prohibitive, but in 2015 the International Sea Turtle Society’s annual Symposium (ISTS), came to Dalaman, Turkey, and that meant MEDASSET was able to send a team and get involved on many levels. One of the events we were delighted to support was the fundraising evening known as “Live Auction Night” – a social occasion that can get quite rowdy. The beer flows freely and everyone is encouraged to spend far too much on items they neither really want nor really need, all in a very good cause… the ISTS’s Travel Grant Fund. Helping to fill those coffers is hugely worthwhile, as the Fund provides financial support to students and others on a low
income, enabling the strongest applicants to attend the following year’s Symposium. MEDASSET took charge of the evening’s pre-auction live entertainment, putting on a Fancy Dress Beauty Pageant.A certain amount of arm-twisting, cajoling and blackmail resulted in eight volunteer “models”. Each dressed up as one of the world’s eight sea turtle species with appropriately (well, nearly) decorated carapaces. Rod Mast was as usual Master of Ceremonies and interviewed each “turtle”.
pinched all the carapaces for permanent display at DEKAMER, the nearby Sea Turtle Rescue and Recuperation Centre that he runs at Iztuzu, Dalyan. It was great to see them displayed, already in place above the Centre’s tanks, on the following day!
Alexander Gaos from the USA (Hawksbill) and Aliki Panagopoulou from Greece (Loggerhead) were eventually crowned King and Queen of the Symposium, and the Pageant alone raised $1,000 for the Fund. As carapace-painter-in-chief, I took it as a massive compliment when the Symposium’s President, Prof. Yakup Kaska – long-time friend of MEDASSET –
2015 International Sea Turtle Society Lifetime Achievement Award to Lily Venizelos Lily Venizelos, President and Founder of MEDASSET was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her accomplishments in the field of sea turtle conservation. The award was made by the International Sea Turtle Society during the 35th annual International Sea Turtle Symposium in Dalaman, Turkey, which took place between 18 and 25 April, 2015.
“I feel particularly honoured to be recognised. With MEDASSET, we have fought significant battles for the survival of these endangered flagship species for many years, throughout the Mediterranean. Furthermore we have been doing so in the face of human actions and greed that seem to take no account of the right of other forms of life to exist” said Lily.
The award comes as a tribute to 32 years of work on behalf of the Mediterranean’s sea turtles. It represents the highest honour the marine turtle conservation community can bestow and is awarded by a committee composed of professionals in the fields of biology and species preservation who are internationally active in the effort to save these vulnerable animals.
She added “This award simply reinforces our sense of responsibility and makes us determined to continue our work to protect marine ecosystems and biodiversity.”
From left, Prof. Yakup Kaska, President of 35th ISTS, Lily Venizelos, Ali Rıza Avcı, Ortaca Municipality Vice Mayor
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Turtle Dives -Annual edition (March ‘15-Feb. ‘16)
PARIS…THE OUTCOMES OF COP21 FOR SEA TURTLES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN From Australia: Prue Robertson, MEDASSET Climate Change Advisor The 2015 Paris Climate Conference, also known as COP21 held in December was hailed the “world’s greatest diplomatic success”. Negotiators, ministers and heads of state gathered in Paris and worked through the night to finalise the framework through which the world will seek to reduce carbon pollution and tackle climate change after 2020. The world’s leading scientists have warned that global warming of 2°C or more above pre-industrial levels will result in irreversible and catastrophic consequences. This includes consequences for sea turtles in the Mediterranean. Momentum was the key word and it really heated up. The year 2015 saw greater agreement on acting on climate change – the US-China announcement for action on climate change, oil and gas
avoiding 2°C of warming. These post-2020 targets are countries’ initial offers and while positive, even if fully implemented, the world is still on course for 2.7°C warming. As the Paris agreement will not come into force until 2020, and so between now and 2020 these targets will be reviewed and scrutinised globally. This includes a ‘ratchet’ mechanism to routinely improve the strength of targets over time. The European Union is well-placed having already achieved above their 2020 target and an agreement for a 2030 target of “at least” 40% gas reductions compared to 1990 levels. However countries such as Australia need to lift their ambition. The ‘argy-bargy’ of negotiations centered on: national pledges; an agreed long-term
up for in diversity – the Mediterranean counts over 10% of all known species, has the second highest percentage of endemic species in the world and is home to several endangered marine species like the green sea turtle (Fache and Sadik, 2015). “Global change is happening, and it is happening fast. The only certainty we have is that marine ecosystems will be different, but we still do not know to what extent.” said Richard Sempéré, CNRS researcher and director the Mediterranean Institute of Oceanology (MIO) and presenter at the Our Common Future Under Climate Change conference. We can help to protect sea turtles, but we’ll lose this opportunity if we don’t tackle climate change Sea turtles already face significant threats to the viability of their populations such as commercial fishing, encroachment on nesting areas, boats, litter, pollution, illegal harvesting of eggs. Climate change places sea turtles under greater threat as it affects the climate under which all ecosystems exist. While climate change is unlikely to directly cause extinction of marine species, the changes to distribution, nesting beaches and ocean acid levels will put more pressure on sea turtle populations. More and more research studies are finding bias towards female sea turtle populations as well as inundation of nesting beaches.
Thousands marched through Melbourne’s city centre in one of many climate change protests around the world. Photo: Melissa Davey, The Guardian
companies asking for consistent climate policy, the G7 calling for decarbonisation and the Pope’s Encyclical. The diversity of voices had never been greater. A global agreement was expected, but what it would look like was the question. Over 40 low lying nations across the Indian and Pacific oceans formed an Alliance to put forward a strong case for a target that would not see their homes underwater. This helped raise global ambitions and the end result saw agreement that greenhouse gas emissions should peak as soon as possible. With an agreement that global temperatures should be kept “well below” 2°C, with an aspiration of 1.5°C that would save some island nations from going under. Ahead of Paris, all countries had been asked to outline their initial scope of action after 2020. Including pollution reduction targets that showed how countries were undertaking actions consistent with
goal; how to hold countries to account; ways to increase ambition over time and; climate finance. Each country is now obliged to report its emissions and its progress in cutting them, every five years. The issue for developing countries is money as they will suffer the brunt of damage to the climate. As well as having restrictions on the economic growth off the back of burning fossil fuels that developed countries have enjoyed. Developed countries agreed in Paris to pay $US100 billion each year to help poorer countries grow without increasing emissions. What do we need for the Mediterranean Sea?
The outcomes of Paris give hope towards slowing the warming and impacts of climate change, however only if countries keep to targets and continue to increase ambition over time. It’s up to citizens of every country to keep up the pressure to keep policy makers accountable for a safe climate. What can you do? Get informed ( w w w. c l i m a t e r e a l i t y p r o j e c t . o r g / climate-101) Watch This Changes Everything Tweet #Turtlesaginstclimatechange
Stretching for 46,000 kilometres, the white sandy beaches and sparkling waters of the Mediterranean Sea only make up 1% of world oceans. But what it lacks in size, it makes
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GIFTS
Every day, “ghost fishing nets” trap and kill thousands of marine animals, including sea turtles. The “Healthy Seas” initiative recovers discarded fishing nets from the seabed and transforms them into high quality ECONYL® yarn. This forms the basis for new sustainable textiles, such as these socks! MEDASSET is a proud partner of the “Healthy Seas” Initiative.
Yours for a donation of 3.00€/ £2.50
73% organic cotton 25% ECONYL® 2% Elastane
. .FROM WASTE TO WEAR
Handmade macrame sea turtle, gold or brown. Adjustable length. Signed by Anna Maria Mazaraki.
Yours for a donation of 22.00€/ £17.50
Handmade macrame bracelet with gold plated (18K) bronze sea turtle and cz stones. Matching necklace also available. By Anna Maria Mazaraki. Comes in designer’s shocking pink pouch.
SEMI-PRECIOUS STONE BRACELET
TURTLE IN KNOTS NECKLACE
Handmade macrame rings made of waxed polyester in various colours. Μatching bracelet also available.
Yours for a donation of 19.00€/ £15.00
MACRAME RING FROM CYPRUS 6 all occasion note cards with envelopes (2 each of 3 designs), 9 x 12.5 cm Printed on quality Conqueror paper Come in tidy paper pochette. Yours for a donation of 5.00€/ £4.00
Three or more sets 4.00€ each / £2.50
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NOTE CARD SET
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Yours for a donation of 12.00€/ £9.50
All proceeds from “Serendipities” support MEDASSET-Greece conservation projects in the Mediterranean. For online orders visit: www.medasset.org/ serendipities To order by telephone, call us 10-5 pm at +30 210 3613572 (Eastern European Time Zone (UTC+02:00) Or write to MEDASSET-Greece (Licavitou 1C, Athens 10672, GR)
EVENTS & SPONSORS FUNDRAISING EVENTS Despite the economic crisis in Greece, our two annual fundraisers were well attended, enabling us to keep going with current projects and to start work on new initiatives. In June 2015 we hosted a dinner at the Hellenic Yacht Club in Piraeus, overlooking breathtaking views of the Saronikos Bay. Norton Rose Fulbright LLP was the main supporter of this event for the sixth consecutive year! In January 2016, we held our annual Tea Party at the NJV Athens Plaza Hotel in Athens to cut the traditional Pita Cake. A glamorous fashion show and raffle completed the event which was generously sponsored by Mr and Ms Vardis Vardinogiannis who are warmly thanked. Thanks are also due to all who attended, offered gifts for the raffle and sent donations for both fundraisers. From our Annual Tea Party at NJV Athens Plaza, January 15, 2016. Vassilis Emmanuel Zoulias Couture Fashion Show.
THANK YOU! Lily Venizelos A.G Leventis Foundation Κosmocar Vardis & Marianna Vardinogiannis Νorton Rose Fulbright Alpha Bank EC Representation in Greece Athens International Airport Interamerican Dimstel 360 Events Grant Thornton Aegean Airlines REA Maternity Hospital Dolphin Capital Foundation Costa Navarino Hotel Hotel Grande Bretagne Hotel King George Happy Dayz Fali Vogiatzaki Georgia Martinou Frida Tsakiroglou Dimitra Routsi Pipitsa Angelaki Matti Egon Despina Gavala Mina Kordali Eleni Economou Helene Moussoulos Popi Dampasis Jean Theodore Audrey Wallrock Juanita Ladyman Vicky Vitogiannis Mary Lambropoulos J P Screech Mark Williams R J Deane Serena Sutcliffe
Jane Malarkey Google Inc. Philanthropy.gr Power Music Productions Freddy Makeup Stage Beauty World V. Michelis Cut my Hair Geotag Aeroview Saint George Lycabettus Hotel Hilton Athens Intelligent Media ASAP Athens Hellenic Seaways Ally PR Agency Music-Works Maramenos & Pateras Jewellers Trampakopoulous Jewellers Vourakis Jewellers Slim Figure Pilates La Fenêtre Anek Lines Minoan Lines Attica Group STASY S.A. (Athens railways and tramways) 30 TV stations and tens of radio stations throughout Greece deBop.gr Prasinizo.gr SkipperOnDeck.gr Athens Voice epixeiro.gr Deluxe Magazine Quality Net Foundation Galaxy Fm Greek Travel Pages Econews.gr Onecon.gr Capital Link
Thanks also to all who offered raffle items for our events
KOSMOCAR S.A.’s renewed generosity allows our team to get around with safety and style in a new Golf VW Blue Motion!
MEDASSET c/o 4 Hillside Close London, NW8 0EF, UK Tel.: +44 203 2866189 MEDASSET GREECE 1c Licavitou Street 10672, Athens, Greece Tel: +30 210 3613572 +30 210 3640389 Fax: +30 3613572 medasset@medasset.org www.medasset.org
Contributors
Jenny Ioannou, Liza Boura, Prue Robertson, Konstantina Kostoula, Vassilis Stamogiannis, Anna Stamatiou, Lily Venizelos Layout: Melina Pagoni If you do not wish to receive “Turtle...Dives” call or send us a fax to unsubscribe.
Turtle Dives -Annual edition (March ‘15-Feb. ‘16)
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