Work within the National Marine Park of Zakynthos, on Marathonisi, for the restoration of a “historical complex of a private sanctuary, tower, and farmhouse” continues, despite a request from the Ministry of Environment’s service to halt the project in November 2024, reports Proto Thema.
The reason for this is that the National Marine Park is designated as a “nature protection area,” and the work, as environmental organizations have pointed out, threatens to alter the geomorphological composition of the beach.
The ecosystem of the National Marine Park serves as a nesting site for Caretta caretta sea turtles and is also a sanctuary for Mediterranean monk seals.
Environmental groups have raised concerns that the project “poses a serious and immediate risk of degradation to the nesting beach (egg-laying site) due to sand compaction from heavy machinery, alteration of the beach’s geomorphological structure due to expected erosion from land clearing, destruction of sand dunes, and, ultimately, significant disruption to the nesting process itself, which begins on May 1st.”
An inspection was conducted in the area by the Zakynthos Building Service on February 12th, and violations were discovered. The inspection concluded that the condition of the farmhouse and tower and their size are insufficient to justify their restoration, and the work appears to involve reconstruction or new construction. Furthermore, the scope of the work seems to exceed the approved permit, requiring a review of the permit.
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