Keep the Ban on Hunting on Tilos Island

A LIFTING OF THE HUNTING BAN ON TILOS WOULD HAVE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE ECONOMY OF THE ISLAND

To the Secretary General, Periphery of Southern Aegean, Greece





Charalampos Kokkinos

Secretary General

Periphery of Southern Aegean

Eptanisou 35

GR-84100 Ermoupolis



Dear Secretary General,


The news that the Office of the Southern Aegean Periphery is considering lifting the hunting ban on the island of Tilos, outside the boundaries of the permanent Wildlife Refuge, is an extremely disturbing and environmentally retrograde development.

Since your recent appointment to your post you have undoubtedly been briefed on the existence and obligations of European Union laws and regulations (European Union Council Directive 79/409/EEC issued April 2, 1979) that classifies the island of Tilos, in its entirety, as a Special Protected Area (SPA). A study of these will make it clear that the lifting of a ban on hunting would violate these regulations and make Greece liable to sanctions from the EU. We understand that local organisations and residents have informed you separately and in detail on the pertinent requirements for the protection and conservation of the endangered species of flora and fauna.

We hope that you will find time to make yourself familiar with the unique characteristics and circumstances of Tilos that distinguish it from the other islands in the Dodecanese island chain. Complementary to the conservation issue is the progress towards a sustainable year-round ecotourist market which will be of considerable importance to the economic viability of the island, and the region, in the foreseeable future.

Concerned environmentalists in Europe and elsewhere, many of whom are regular tourists to your beautiful country, support all efforts to ensure that the status and exemplary progress of wildlife conservation on Tilos be acknowledged and officially endorsed. A re-introduction of hunting would be a backward step with serious negative consequences in terms of economic and conservation of natural resources.

In the conviction that your office will, after unbiased consideration of the legal and economic facts and the wishes of the residents of the island, quash any present or future calls for the lifting of the hunting ban on Tilos we remain,