Urgent Conservation Action Needed

to protect Mediterranean Monk Seals in Their Critical Habitat

The Inner Ionian Sea Archipelago, a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) “Esoteriko Archipelagos Ioniou – Meganisi, Arkoudi, Atokos, Vromonas” (Natura 2000 Site Code: GR2220003), is one of the few Mediterranean areas where the endangered Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) can still be predictably encountered. The area is also included in IUCN’s global list of Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs), as part of the “Ionian Archipelago IMMA”.

Urgent Conservation Action Needed

to protect Mediterranean Monk Seals in Their Critical Habitat

The Inner Ionian Sea Archipelago, a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) “Esoteriko Archipelagos Ioniou – Meganisi, Arkoudi, Atokos, Vromonas” (Natura 2000 Site Code: GR2220003), is one of the few Mediterranean areas where the endangered Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) can still be predictably encountered. The area is also included in IUCN’s global list of Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs), as part of the “Ionian Archipelago IMMA”.

The Archipelago, where our regular monitoring of dolphins and seals is conducted since 1991, is a site of exceptional naturalistic value and poses important monk seal breeding, resting, and feeding habitat. The condition of monk seals in these waters is at the same time very exciting (due to the unprecedented and increasing numbers of sightings) but in parallel very worrisome due to the lack of concrete management actions to mitigate disturbance in the seals’ critical habitat by the frequentation by tourists and fishermen.

Our work with Mediterranean monk seals in the Inner Ionian Sea Archipelago have intensified in the last decade. Since 2019 we count on the support from the Fondation Segré and the Monk Seal Alliance. Our research efforts yielded , among other things, a catalogue of 30+ monk seal individuals, suggesting that this area is one of the species’ most valuable habitats at the global level.

Some caves frequented by the seals are monitored through autonomous and continuous monitoring systems installed and maintained by the Octopus Foundation, a Swiss-based organisation concerned with the conservation of the marine environment, which we have been collaborating with since 2019.

Risks to monk seals in the Inner Ionian Sea Archipelago and recent trends

The main threats to monk seal occupation of their key habitat in the Inner Ionian Sea Archipelago derive to a large extent from disturbance from boat-based tourism, and possibly also to negative interactions with fishing activities.

If no urgent action is taken, we fear that disturbance deriving from uncontrolled human activities may cause monk seals to abandon the area.

The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) is one of the world’s most endangered marine mammals. These beautiful animals are particularly sensitive to human disturbance. If you ever come across any of them, you should follow these very basic guidelines.

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Boat-based tourism

Between May-October, and most dramatically July and August, boat-based tourism can be an intense source of disturbance for the seals. The two types of tourism increasingly present in the area are: organised and private.

Organised tourism is conducted primarily by vessels doing daily excursions across the Archipelago stopping in different locations, where their clients are allowed to swim and explore before leaving for a successive destination.

By contrast, private tourism involves a multitude of medium to small pleasure crafts that go anywhere along the islands’ coasts, at any time of day, and for whatever length of time they wish, occasionally spending the night anchored in small rocky bays frequently coinciding with some of  the monk seal caves and favourite resting sites.

Organised tours present a minor concern because their impact is spatially circumscribed and limited in time. Furthermore, the tour organisers often collaborate by providing valuable information to their customers about marine conservation, requesting them to keep a code of conduct at sea.

On the other hand, the uncontrolled behaviour of private boaters is potentially devastating. Throughout the past five years we have observed a crescendo of highly concerning behaviour by such type of tourists in the Inner Ionian Sea Archipelago. The phenomenon, however, has been quite extreme in 2021, when many visitors had come to specific spots unambiguously to have a “monk seal experience”: searching for seals by boat, entering the water to swim with them, and even entering the caves.

Breeding grounds disturbance

A particularly disturbing incident took place in July 2021, when a newborn monk seal pup was observed during a couple of days in a cave through the Octopus Foundation autonomous monitoring system, and was never seen again, quite likely as a consequence of reiterated disturbance by unwitting tourists inside and outside the cave. After 23 July 2021, neither the newborn pup nor the presumed mother were seen again, despite continuous observations through the autonomous monitoring system and during the 12 additional surveys we did in the same area between 29 July and 13 October.

20 July 2021: an adult female swimming erratically in front of the cave where the Octopus monitoring system is installed

21 July 2021: monk seal newborn seen for the first time in the cave (date and time at top left corner)

22 July 2021: monk seal newborn still in the cave (last observation at 7:00 that same day)

22 July 2021: large female (presumably the mother of the pup) still regularly milling in front of the cave

22 July 2021: large female (presumably the mother of the pup) still regularly milling in front of the cave

23 July 2021: a seal (presumably the newborn pup’s mother) still swimming in front of the cave

23 July 2021: less than one hour later, a tourist dinghy beached inside the cave

23 July 2021: Meanwhile, three tourists snorkelling just outside

Fishing

For most of the year, based on our observations, we surmise that small-scale fishing activities, as they are currently conducted in the Inner Ionian Sea Archipelago, are unlikely to exert a major impact on the continued frequentation by monk seals.

Nevertheless, we have occasionally detected a few boats operating illegal beach-seines (see box below) near some monk seal’s hot spots, which raises strong concern not only about the monk seals but also about the impact this fishing gear has on the Posidonia oceanica beds and on the conservation of demersal and inshore diversity.

A beach-seiner with a nearby monk seal

Beach-Seines legal framework in Greece

Due to the high induced mortality of undersized fish of both commercial and non-commercial species, beach seining has been banned from EU waters since 2001. However, implementing the ban of beach seines in Greece was prolonged until 2010.

Since the Government of Greece finally implemented the EU’s ban on beach seining in May 2010, this highly destructive fishing gear has been occasionally used under exceptional circumstances (i.e. official derogation or experimental fishing) until 15th Dec 2020; a deadline given by the Greek government for fishermen to have access to subsidies (as much as 25,000 EUR/boat) in exchange for the withdrawal of this gear. Since then, with no exceptions, beach seining is not allowed anywhere in Greece. Therefore, the beach seining currently happening in the area is illegal.

A beach-seiner operating in the Inner Ionian Sea Archipelago in September 2021

Possible impacts

The Mediterranean monk seal is one of the world’s most threatened marine mammals, listed as Endangered in IUCN’s Red List, and only a few hundred of them are estimated to survive in the whole of the Mediterranean Sea. The main causes of such status are direct killing by fishermen, bycatch in fishing gear and human encroachment and disturbance in their critical habitat.

The Inner Ionian Sea Archipelago contains monk seal critical habitat and is subject to intense human encroachment and disturbance for an important portion of the year (i.e., the summer months).

The levels of disturbance to monk seals observed in the area and documented above are consistent with the risk of discouraging the seals from continuing to frequent key portions of the Inner Ionian Sea Archipelago, ultimately extirpating the species from its critical habitat. This can have a seriously adverse effect on monk seal recovery.

Human behaviour generating disturbance to monk seals in their habitat is largely caused by a lack of knowledge and of understanding of the delicate conservation status of the monk seals and their behavioural requirements. Please, have a look at the very basic monk seal watching guidelines and if you ever encounter these fascinating creatures keep them in mind, act responsibly and do your share to protect the Mediterranean monk seal.

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