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Oceans and seas are among the most important common goods of our planet! They are “home” to hundreds of thousands of species and help mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis. In just the last ten years, 23% of emissions from human activities have been absorbed by the oceans!
In 2022, the international community reached a historic agreement for the conservation of global biodiversity. A global framework was established under which, by 2030, all countries must take initiatives and measures to create marine protected areas covering at least 30% of the planet’s oceans and seas. This target has also been incorporated into the European and Mediterranean Biodiversity Strategy as well as into our national legislation.
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a key tool for addressing the interconnected crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. These areas serve as cores of high ecological importance, as they host significant and threatened habitats—such as Posidonia seagrass meadows—as well as important and endangered marine species, including the Caretta caretta sea turtle, sperm whales, dolphins, the Mediterranean monk seal, and others.
Why are they important?
Beyond their significance for conserving biodiversity and protecting species and habitats, MPAs provide us with essential ecosystem services. For example, the recovery of fish stocks can help strengthen local fishing communities and improve our food security, while opportunities for low-impact tourism activities support the tourism sector and create new jobs. Posidonia seagrass meadows, often referred to as “marine forests,” absorb and store carbon dioxide, playing a crucial role in climate change mitigation and adaptation. At the same time, MPAs significantly contribute to the sustainable development of local communities.
In Greece, MPAs—which also form part of the European Natura 2000 ecological network—cover approximately 18% of the country’s marine waters. At the recent global Our Ocean Conference (9th OOC), hosted by Greece in Athens (15–17 April 2024), the Greek government committed to creating two new national marine parks in 2024: one in the Ionian Sea and one in the South Aegean.
These parks are expected to contribute to achieving the 30x30 target by increasing MPA coverage in Greek waters to 32%. This is a very important commitment; however, establishing MPAs only on paper is not enough. In Greece, MPAs with actual protective measures are very few. It is essential to ensure that all MPAs in the country have established protective measures—that is, a legal framework regulating which activities are prohibited or allowed, and if allowed, under what conditions. In particular, hydrocarbon extraction is a highly harmful activity and is incompatible with the designation of MPAs.
It is also important that the established measures are implemented in practice through surveillance actions, inspections, and the imposition of fines on violators by the competent authorities, as well as through the provision of sufficient financial resources for managing these areas. Finally, achieving the 30x30 goal must rely on participatory processes, involving all citizens and local communities in environmental decision-making and MPA management.
Watch the video of the Conference on Marine Protected Areas in Greece
In November 2023, we launched a program in partnership with the Greek office of Greenpeace, aiming to contribute to achieving the 30x30 target in Greece. Through this program, we will implement actions to inform citizens about the importance of MPAs and the need for protective measures, and to apply political pressure on the state and relevant authorities to take the necessary steps—both to expand the MPA network and to strengthen effective management and the adoption of appropriate protective measures.
This program also aspires to contribute to the establishment of an integrated Marine Spatial Planning framework in our country, one that incorporates MPAs and the need for the protection and restoration of important ecosystems into the planning and allocation of economic activities in the marine environment.
At the same time, to help achieve the 30x30 goal, we are implementing actions within specific MPAs, such as the National Marine Park of Zakynthos and the protected area of Gyaros Island.
In April 2025, in collaboration with the Greek office of Greenpeace and Vouliwatch, we launched the weseayou Observatory, the first open digital platform designed to track Greece’s progress on its national obligations and commitments for Marine Protected Areas. Weseayou is a public observatory where anyone can see exactly how far Greece has come in protecting its seas, and specifically in establishing Marine Protected Areas that must cover at least 30% of Greek waters by 2030 (the 30×30 target).
Project leader: Vasiliki Stergiou