Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has announced the creation of two new National Marine Parks in the Ionian and Southern Aegean seas, a move that will establish some of the largest marine protected areas in the Mediterranean.
The combined area of the two new parks will cover 27,500 square kilometers.
A key conservation measure will be a ban on fishing with trawlers within the parks to protect fragile ecosystems.
“With these additions, Greece will have some of the largest marine protected areas in the entire Mediterranean,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement.
Environmental studies for the new parks will be opened for public consultation starting Tuesday, a process that will be followed by a review by the Council of State before a presidential decree gives formal approval.