The Role of Modern Ports and Marine Protected Areas in Eastmed’s Environmental Sustainability: The Case of Greece

Coasts are geographical areas that house many diverse activities, with direct impacts on the environment and the sustainable development of these regions. The concentration of these activities in a small spatial coastal zone creates significant pressures on marine ecosystems threatening further damage to habitats followed by potential loss of species and genetic diversity. Marine reserves and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are considered important tools to address these threats to marine resources. Greece is one of the richest countries in marine biodiversity. It is a country with the longest coastline in the Mediterranean (about 15,000 km) and its coastal areas are of great economic, cultural and ecological interest. It is therefore obvious that marine/coastal and island habitats are, or should be, priority areas for Greece, regarding the focus of governmental support and protection, as well as strengthening stakeholder involvement procedures. This realization further enhances the need for developing and applying managerial and financial tools for lasting and sustainable development of coastal areas and Greek seas and thus the study of marine protected areas cannot ignore the ports operating in the surrounding region. A “traditional port” is a coastal marine area with a land zone artificially formed to provide the vessel with not only safe anchorage and mooring for loading and unloading operations, but also a point that can provide the best possible service to ships. Today, ports operate in an extremely competitive framework, continuously trying to reduce cost, increase productivity with simultaneous improvement of the services provided to users. The crucial question concerning the port lies in the fact that by trying to reduce cost, safety and environmental protection maybe partly sacrificed. Port authorities must therefore take all necessary measures to prevent the emergence of pollution (accident-related) or stemming from normal operation, which involves monitoring the frequency and consequences of accidents and other hazards, leading to the estimation of the risk of environmental pollution.