The First Week of the Campaign

Well, the campaign to improve the lot of the loggerhead turtles on Zakynthos is well underway.

Yesterday I finished a new blog-type page to add to Aquaworld's main site and I've just this moment finished linking all the other pages of the site to it. you can read it at:

http://www.aquaworld-crete.com/zakynthos-turtles.html

I welcome all comments/criticism - anything that can help relieve this dreadful shame on the Greek nation.

I have also just emailed Medasset, Archelon, WWF Greece and Greenpeace with details of the petition. Hopefully, we will find some support there. If you can think of anyone who can contribute - even just a single signature - please let them know. Remember, the link to the petition is:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/zakynthos-turtles/index.html

To those of you who have already signed, thank you so much for forming what I hope is the kernel of something much greater. Again, let me appeal to you all - the key to this petition having any effect is if the good citizens of Zakynthos really believe that their pockets will become much lighter as a result of it. In turn, that means lots of signatures, so please pass on word of our enterprise and together I'm sure we can make it work.

Thanks,

John

Caretta caretta - A National Shame!

It was something of a puzzle to read recently on the Internet that I was caring for a loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) at Aquaworld! It wasn't until another publication - the Ko-go Khronicles - did its research properly and reported correctly that the turtle was being cared for at the nearby CretAquarium that the mystery was solved. Some journalists just can't seem to get it right....

However, while one turtle may be getting all the tender loving care it needs to make sure it can be released soon, others are not faring so well here in Greece!

All the facts of the Greek national shame taking place daily at Zakynthos, the most critical and vital nesting place for the loggerhead in the entire Mediterranean, can be read on the detailed Medasset report and photographs of the disgraceful ongoing habitat destruction can also be viewed online.

There is no need to reiterate all the facts here. It is sufficient to say that greed and self interest - the overwhelming desire for the tourist euro, dollar, pound or whatever - is not simply threatening this ancient species, the very sand in which the turtles lay their eggs is even being removed for building purposes!!!

I feel that it is high time that those responsible are sent a very strong message - we will not put up with this disgrace any longer.

It is with this in mind that I have created an online petition which I would like everyone who cares for the future of the loggerhead turtle to sign - you can choose to remain anonymous if you so desire. The key message to the people of Zakynthos is simple - put things right or suffer the financial consequences of an ongoing, snowballing tourist boycott of the entire area. When you've signed it, please forward it to all the caring individuals you know.

There is only a fairly basic petition online at present, but a website is under construction and this blog will let you know when its available - keep on reading :-)