A few kilometers away from Lefkada lies the relatively unknown Kastos, a tiny island included in the protected area of the Inner Ionian Archipelago (NATURA 2000). This area is particularly important for the protected marine mammals of the Mediterranean. We were to learn more about it this summer, when a visiting environmentalist made a heartbreaking report to ARCHELON: an embalmed Loggerhead sea turtle was found on public display in front of one of the island’s taverns. The embalmed animal still bears the special tags with which it was marked by ARCHELON researchers during the recording of its nesting in Zakynthos in 2008. Unfortunately, the death of the animal must have come some time later, but was never reported to the authorities and the prescribed sanitary burial was never carried out. Instead, the animal was embalmed and used as a tourist attraction.

Sea turtles are protected animals under both Greek and international law. Specifically, under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES, 1973), trading and trafficking of alive or embalmed specimens is strictly prohibited. These provisions are known to taxidermists around the world and today animal taxidermy is rare and is done mainly for the study of specimens in zoological museums. The incident in Kastos was a stark reminder of the ongoing threats facing protected species and the constant need for raising public awareness to avoid violations of these regulations.

Upon learning of the situation, ARCHELON immediately notified the competent authorities and urged them to confiscate the embalmed animal and ensure that such a disturbing display does not happen again. Fortunately, the Authorities moved quickly to confiscate the speciment with the consent of the tavern’s owners. This incident highlights the importance of raising public awareness and spreading a sense of respect for marine life.

For instructions on what to do if you come across a dead sea turtle on the Greek coastline see here.