In view of the forthcoming nesting in just one month, the ARCHELON Association travelled to Crete with the aim of recalling compliance with management measures for the conservation of the sea turtle and its breeding habitats, as well as informing the local authorities of Crete about the transnational European program LIFE EUROTURTLES.

The first meeting for the summer season 2017 took place on Tuesday, 4th April in Rethymno, Crete's largest nesting site, at the initiative of the Regional Unit of Rethymno and ARCHELON. Corresponding meetings will take place in May in Chania (in collaboration with the Regional Unit of Chania on April 7, 2017) and in Moires, Heraklion. The purpose of this workshop was to provide information to entrepreneurs active in Rethymno Bay nesting beach, local authorities and services and to engage in constructive thinking and exchange of views on how to achieve sustainable management of the nesting beach through the Protection of the sea turtle.

ARCHELON representatives informed the attendees about all the necessary protection measures that need to be applied, something that constituted the basis for a meaningful dialogue on the problems facing Rethymnon Bay, which, unfortunately, as everyone has agreed, are many, since it is a degraded coastal ecosystem that has received a lot of human intervention over the last decades.

In addition to the concerns that prevailed on the current situation, it was of particular interest that all participants were informed of the actions that the Association will undertake within the LIFE EUROTURTLES program, which started in September 2016 and will be completed in 2021. The transnational character of the project, implemented with the participation of Croatia, Slovenia, Cyprus, Italy, Malta and of course our country, is quite impressive.

On behalf of the ARCHELON Association, we would like to thank for their presence, Mrs Lioni Maria, Deputy Regional Chief of Rethymnon Regional Unit, Mr. Anomerianakis Epaminondas who represented the Port Authority, Mr Alefantinos Minos, Deputy Mayor of Rethymno and the executives of businesses who attended the meeting. Finally, we would like to thank the Department of Environment and Hydroeconomy of Rethimnon Regional Unit for the excellent organizing of the meeting.

(translation: Aggeliki Antonopoulou)