EuroNatur - active in protecting Mediterranean monk seal
As terrible as many dangers to Mediterranean monk seals and other marine mammals are, one has to bear in mind that they are man-made and can thus also be overcome by man. EuroNature and its partners in a number of countries actively work on protecting the Mediterraenan Sea. There have already been some successes:
In Greece the Northern Sporades Marine National Park was established. On the island Alonnisos EuroNatur runs a field station which is used as a base for the planning and implementation of various conservation activities. Even the fishermen are involved here and help monitor the park which harbours an important monk seal population.
EuroNatur has developed a teaching package on Mediterranean monk seals and on the ecosystem Mediterranean Sea which is now being used in Greek schools, as recommended by the Greek Environmental Ministry.
EuroNatur has supported a number of expeditions along the North African Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic coasts which have assessed the occurrence of monk seals and causes of deaths. Fishermen were also educated about the monk seals' rarity and their worthiness of protection. Another expedition to the Black Sea yielded a sad result - the monk seal has gone extinct there.
