Strasbourg, 13 October T-PVS (2000) 51 [tpvs51e_2000.doc] CONVENTION ON THE CONSERVATION OF EUROPEAN WILDLIFE AND NATURAL HABITATS

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1 Strasbourg, 13 October T-PVS (2000) 51 [tpvs51e_2000.doc] CONVENTION ON THE CONSERVATION OF EUROPEAN ILDLIFE AND NATURAL HAITATS Standing Committee 20 th meeting Strasbourg, 27 November 1 December 2000 On-the-spot appraisal on the ilos viper acrovipera schweizeri (Greece) Secretariat emorandum Prepared by The Directorate of Sustainable Development This document will not be distributed at the meeting. Please bring this copy. Ce document ne sera plus distribué en réunion. Prière de vous munir de cet exemplaire.

2 T-PVS (2000) Introduction On-the-spot appraisal on ilos island for the conservation of the ilos viper acrovipera schweizeri, 8-11 September 2000 by r. Claes Andrén and r. Göran Nilson The Greek Government invited the Standing Committee to the ern Convention to carry out an on-the-spot appraisal to the island of ilos to review the conservation problems of the ilos viper. During the period 8-11 September, 2000 two experts on vipers from Göteborg University, Sweden, Claes Andrén and Göran Nilson, and the Head of Nature and Landscape Division of the Council of Europe, Eladio Fernández-Galiano, carried out this task. Attending this appraisal were also representatives from the inistry for the Environment, Physical planning and Public works in Athens, rs. Spala and rs. arkopoulos, the Greek viper expert from the Goulandris useum r. Ioannidis, the Prefect of ilos rs. Kalogeraki, the ajor of ilos r. Psathas, the officer from the Regional Development Agency of the Cyclades r. Voltis and other local authorities. e would like to express our deep thanks to all Greek officials and especially the Prefect rs. Kalogeraki for the great hospitality and for making our discussions and the visit so fruitful and pleasant. The main reason for the appraisal was to ensure the future survival of the endemic and rare ilos viper. However, ilos has many other animal and plant species also unique and of great importance to be considered in a comprehensive conservation plan for the island. To make a conservation plan work in a specific area it is of utmost importance to have the active support and interest from the local people. The discussions therefore focused on the possibility to make the largely pristine western part of ilos a nature protected area to ensure the future long time survival of the ilos viper and a number of other unique species, but at the same time also support a soft small scale eco-tourism activity with infrastructure development restricted to the Eastern part of the island. In the way the conservation of the unique species and the landscape of the green western ilos would be of great importance and concern for the local people and play a role in their future economy. Undestroyed nature areas with unique characteristics and species will be of increasing importance in the editerranean area. During the last day of the appraisal Dr. Eladio Fernández-Galiano, Dr. Claes Andrén and Dr. Göran Nilson together with rs. Demetra Spala were invited to the General Direction, inistry of Environment, Physical planning and Public works in Athens for further discussions. e would like to express our sincere thanks to the Director General r. John Vournas for giving us time for a thorough discussion and for the enthusiasm and interest shown for the conservation project on ilos. Short description of the area and its ecological problem estern ilos is an area of around 3,000 hectares, mainly covered by editerranean maquis and very sparsely forested. ater availability if the main factor controlling vegetation development and restoration. The area has been subject to deforestation in a distant past and

3 - 3 - T-PVS (2000) 51 to intensive grazing by sheep more recently. Grazing is an activity that trends to disappear as shepherd grow old and young people work for jobs elsewhere. Some residual agriculture is maintained but mostly of a marginal character, for self-subsistence or local markets. estern ilos has a mountains character (highest point m over sea level) and is very little populated. Housing is very sparse, only some farms and one village with a few houses. The coastline is rather abrupt and supports at present no substantial tourism. ining (for Kaolin and other minerals) is the main economic activity of estern ilos. Extraction is concentrated on two areas. Although they account for only 3 % of the surface of the island, it affects notably its landscapes. Traffic of trucks is intense and has a strong effect on viper mortality on the dust roads that connect extraction places with the docks where the mineral is charged and shipped away. There are plans to continue quarrying activities and even starting mining for gold in parts of estern ilos. As mining employs a relatively important part of the workforce of ilos, it is presumed that, not withstanding its ecological effects, some mining will continue. Tourism has developed much in the last six years, although estern ilos does not hold any substantial tourism structure, all hotels being elsewhere in the island. Although tourism is being rapidly developed and accounts now for a third of the jobs in ilos, its development has been much handicapped by the absence of an airport able to receive international flights. The present airstrip can only be used by small planes connecting ilos to some Greek cities. estern ilos is thus an area which is largely undeveloped, with great potential both for intensive non-sustainable tourism or for sustainable tourism based on the preservation and exploitation of its natural values. The possible development of intensive tourism presents indeed the greatest threat to the preservation of the natural values of the area, including its threatened species. The ilos Viper The island of ilos has been isolated from mainland Greece since at least 4 million years and the ilos viper has been separated from other members of the lebetina complex from that time. ecause of many unique characteristics in morphology, behaviour and genetics the ilos viper, occurring in the western Cyclades, was raised to specific level in 1988, and transferred to the genus acrovipera, which was re-established for the Vipera lebetina complex in The population of the ilos viper was considered threatened by the opencast mining on the island and there seemed to be an obvious conflict between the future survival of the viper and the expanding quarrying of minerals, e.g. bentonite, perlite and cement. Therefore a five year ecological study was initiated in 1993 to answer some important questions such as: 1 how big is the adult population size and the recruitment of adults each year 2 what is the movement patterns of the two sexes and individual home range sizes 3 which are the habitat requirements and 4 which are the most important threats for the species future survival.

4 T-PVS (2000) Further, the ecological study might help to detect natural fluctuations and possible trends in population development. Our intention was to define, for both sexes, home range areas large enough to include necessary activities and behaviour, such as hibernation, reproduction and feeding during the active season. e should also define major threats and rate of mortality for different size/age groups. This information would enable us to point out more precisely the sizes and characteristics of areas to be protected. Fieldwork war carried out during five years and all seasons to include all activities taking place throughout the year. Radio tracking, microchip marking and road hunting were the field methods used. The data-sample included in our study was 1/ 113 micro tagged vipers, 2/ 70 vipers observed on roads (14 live and 56 dead), 3/ 186 viper recordings in total, 4/ 7 vipers with implanted radio transmitters located in178 days, and 5/ 12 vipers observed but not captured. Important results from the field study The ilos viper is nocturnal from early summer until mid-september. The typical habitat is maquis terrain and large bushes on gravel or rocky ground. Telemetric studies showed that cryptic basking under bushes was used during 23.5 % of the locations, and there is a preference for large bushes (77.7%). The mean distance moved between two succeeding days is 28.5 m, and in general a male home range covered an area of up to 20 hectares, while that of the female is smaller. The hibernaculas are south facing and situated in the middle of the home range. In optimal habitats the population density is 50 adult vipers per km 2. The total population during the period was estimated to be adult vipers on western ilos and another five hundred adults on eastern ilos. Furthermore, the species has been isolated since the Pliocene and adapted to a diet of passerine birds and eating mainly twice a year during the bird migrating periods. During the spring the viper tend to be concentrated around rock pools in small river beds, but in the dry autumn the climb small trees shortly before sunset and lay on branches waiting for birds to rest for the night. The mating period occur in mid ay and the reproductive cycle is biennial. The sex ratio is nearly equal and around six hundred vipers reach adulthood each year and are included in the adult population. The estimated loss of adult vipers due to road kills (mainly because of mining) and illegal collecting is close to 600 adults. Thus, the input and the out-take is of the same magnitude, and equal to a yearly 25% turnover. This indicates a very delicate balance, and even a small increase in the number of vipers being killed or removed by collecting can lead to a rapid extinction of the species. A conservation program is urgently needed and should include the establishment of protected areas, the closing of roads for night traffic by trucks to and from the quarries and to a limitation of mining activities. Conclusions of the visit The experts believed that it would be appropriate to present their conclusions in the form of a draft recommendation addressed to the Greek authorities (see Appendix 3 of this document). It is clear that estern ilos will develop in a way of another in the next years and that such development need to take into consideration both the international obligation of

5 - 5 - T-PVS (2000) 51 Greece to protect its threatened species and habitats, and the legitimate expectations of the people of ilos to improve their living standards. It has seemed to us that the model that would better suit both conditions would be a sustainable development model based on the creation of a large protected area on most of estern ilos (that may be a Natural Park, a special protected area or other appropriate figure in Greek legislation) that would sustain green tourism activities. The experts preferred not to enter into specific details of the boundaries of such protected area, as this can only be done after a detailed study by the Greek authorities. In any case it would seem appropriate that the protected area includes all the South est of estern ilos and must of nondegraded land in the rest of estern ilos, leaving perhaps a coastal area for very limited tourism activities. It would be thus important to involve the local population and local authorities in launching an Agenda 21 for Green ilos that would permit to carry out the necessary projects, as it has been done successfully in many other parts of the world. It is only realistic that some mining activities may be continued, but paying much more attention to reducing their impact on the environment and, in particular, on viper mortality. The present agriculture presents a negligible risk to the environmental values of ilos and needs not to be restricted. Grazing, even if it is in decline, should be subject to a management plan that would permit its preservation while permitting at the same time the. regeneration of the vegetation of estern ilos. e propose ilos as a pilot area for such type of Agenda 21 initiative for Greece, in which a revised and updated physical planning needs to take the lead on proposing new development. The inistry of Environment, the Regional Development Agency of the Cyclades, and the local authorities (Prefecture and unicipality) should be, together with the people of ilos, the main actors in bringing about this change.

6 T-PVS (2000) The herpetofauna of ilos Appendix 1 The herpetofauna of ilos consists of eleven species of which five (46%) are endemic for the island. Some of these occur in very small populations, such as (2), (5) and (09) and the green frog (01) is probably a new undescribed species. y giving the suggested protection for the ilos viper all the other species will at the same time get a relevant protection. The following species occur on ilos today: 01. Rana ridibunda complex (probably new species), endemic 02. auremys caspica 03. Hemidactylus turcicus 04. Cyrtopodion kotschyi 05. Lacerta trilineata hansscheizeri, endemic 06. Podarcis milensis endemic 07. Ablepharis kitaibelii 08. Elaphe situla 09. Natrix natrix schweizeri, endemic 10. Telescopus fallax 11. acrovipera schweizeri, endemic Fauna passage under roads A practical conservation methods, mostly used for protection of amphibian populations, but also relevant for reptiles is to make a fauna passage, road tunnel, at each of the important snake crossing points on the main roads on western ilos. These places where a large number of viper are passing in spring and summer are well known as a results of our ecological study. hen the Green ilos project is being realized we will be happy to advice on how these snake crossings should be constructed.

7 - 7 - T-PVS (2000) 51 Appendix 2 Other important species in the viper range onk Seal (Data from the Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the onk Seal) estern ilos is part of the range of a permanent onk Seal population that uses ilos, Kimolos, Polyaigos and the surrounding islets. The total size of this population is estimated between 25 and 40 individuals of all ages. The number of births that has been recorded was 7 in 1997 and 5 in In western ilos 8 caves are considered appropriate for use by the onk Seal as resting places, all of them situated in the southern part of the island (ap). One of them is also appropriate for breeding although no breeding has been observed there during the last years. irds (Data from the ilos Viper Project ) ore than 160 species of birds have been observed on the island. ost of them are migratory species that use the island during the two migration periods or irregular visitors. There are 41 species that breed on ilos, 21 of them are permanent inhabitants. The most important areas for birds are the wetlands of Achivadolimni, Rivari and Alyki, and the cliffs in the Southwestern part of the island where some birds of pray breed, including more than 20 pairs of Eleonora s Falcon, Falco eleonorae. Achivadolimni is the largest natural wetland of Cyclades and a large number of species uses it as a resting place during the migration including Nycticorax nycticorax, Phoenicopterus ruber, Plegadis falcinellus, Ardeola ralloides, Ixobrychus minutus, Egretta garzetta, Ardea cinerea, Egretta alba, Cygnus olor, Gallinula chloropus, Anas platyrhynchos, Pandion haliaetus, Himantopus himantopus, Tringa spp. etc. There are four species of birds of pray that breed on western ilos (Falco eleonorae, Falco tinnunculus, uteo buteo and Hieraaetus fasciatus) Of conservation importance is the presence of one breeding pair of Hieraaetus fasciatus.

8 T-PVS (2000) List of bird species that have been observed on ilos Island Species Presence Red 79/409 ern National data ook. GAVIIFORES Gavia arctica I * * PODICIPEDIFORES Tachybaptus ruficollis * Podiceps grisegena? I * Podiceps nigricollis K * PROCELLARIIFORES Calonectris diomedea? * * * PELECANIFORES Phalacrocorax carbo Phalacrocorax aristotelis V Phalacrocorax pygmeus E2 * * Pelecanus crispus? E1 * * CICONIIFORES otaurus stellaris I I * * * Ixobrychus minutus * * Nycticorax nycticorax K * * * Ardeola ralloides * * * Egretta garzetta * * * Egretta alba I E2 * * Ardea cinerea Ardea purpurea V * * * Plegadis falcinellus E1 * * * Platalea leucorodia I E1 * * * PHOENICOPTERIFORES Phoenicopterus ruber I R * * * ANSERIFORES Cygnus olor I Anas penelope Anas platyrhynchos Anas querquedula K Aythya ferina K Aythya nyroca? V * * ACCIPITRIFORES Gyps fulvus I V * * Circaetus gallicus * * Circus aeruginosus V * * Circus cyaneus * * Circus macrourus * Circus pygargus E1 * * Accipiter nisus * uteo buteo uteo rufinus? R * Aquila chrysaetos I V * * Hieraaetus fasciatus V * * Pandion haliaetus I * * FALCONIFORES

9 - 9 - T-PVS (2000) 51 Falco naumanni V * * Falco tinnunculus * Falco vespertinus * Falco subbuteo * Falco eleonorae K * * * GALLIFORES Alectoris chukar Coturnix coturnix K Rallus aquaticus Gallinula chloropus Fulica atra CHARADRIIFORES Haematopus ostralegus? K Himantopus himantopus V * * urhinus oedicnemus V * * * Hoplopterus spinosus I E2 * * Glareola pratincola V * * * Charadrius dubius * Charadrius hiaticula * Vanellus vanellus Calidris alba * Calidris minuta * Calidris temminckii * Calidris ferruginea * Calidris alpina * Philomachus pugnax * Gallinago gallinago Gallinago media K * * * Lymnocryptes minimus Scolopax rusticola Limosa limosa Tringa erythropus Tringa totanus Tringa stagnatilis? * Tringa nebularia Tringa ochropus * Tringa glareola * * * Actitis hypoleucos * Larus genei? E2 * * * Larus audouinii? * * * Larus cacchinans Chlidonias hybrida? V * * COLUIFORES Columba livia Columba oenas R Columba palumbus? Streptopelia decaocto Streptopelia turtur CUCULIFORES Cuculus canorus STRIGIFORES Tyto alba? * Otus scops * Athene noctua *

10 T-PVS (2000) CAPRIULGIFORES Caprimulgus europaeus? * * APODIFORES Apus apus Apus pallidus * Apus melba * CORACIIFORES erops apiaster * Upupa epops * PASSERIFORES elanocorypha calandra? * * Galerida cristata Alauda arvensis Riparia riparia * Ptyonoprogne rupestris * Hirundo rustica * Hirundo daurica * Delichon urbica * Anthus trivialis? * Anthus pratensis * Anthus cervinus * Anthus spinoletta? * otacilla flava * otacilla cinerea * otacilla alba * Troglodytes troglodytes * Cercotrichas galactotes * Erithacus rubecula * Luscinia megarhynhos * Phoenicurus ochruros * Phoenicurus phoenicurus * Saxicola rubetra * Saxicola torquata * Oenanthe isabellina R * Oenanthe oenanthe? * Oenanthe hispanica * onticola solitarius * * Turdus merula? Turdus pilaris Turdus philomelos Turdus viscivorus Acrocephalus arundinaceus * Hippolais pallida * Hippolais olivetorum * * Sylvia cantillans * Sylvia melanocephala * Sylvia hortensis * Sylvia communis * Sylvia atricapilla * Phylloscopus sibilatrix * Phylloscopus collybita * Phylloscopus trochilus * uscicapa striata * Ficedula parva? * *

11 T-PVS (2000) 51 Ficedula albicollis? * * Ficedula hypoleuca * Parus major * Certhia brachydactyla? * Oriolus oriolus * Lanius collurio * * Lanius minor? K * * Lanius senator * Lanius nubicus? R * Corvus frugilegus? Corvus corone Corvus corax Sturnus vulgaris * Sturnus roseus I * Passer domesticus Passer montanus? Petronia petronia I * Fringilla coelebs Serinus serinus? * Carduelis chloris * Carduelis carduelis * Carduelis cannabina ucanetes githagineus I * Coccothraustes coccothraustes * Emberiza hortulana * Emberiza caesia? * * Emberiza schoeniclus * Emberiza melanocephala * iliaria calandra Presence: I: Irregular visitor : igration : reeding : intering?: Insufficiently known Red data ook: Species included in the Greek Red data ook in the category?: Indeterminate?: Insufficiently known V: Vulnerable?1: Endangered under direct threat of extinction?2: Endangered R: Rare 79/409: Species included in the appendix I of the EU directive 79/409. ern: Species included in the ern convention. National: Species protected by the national Greek legislation (Presidential Degree 67/1981)

12 T-PVS (2000) Appendix 3 Convention on the Conservation of European ildlife and Natural Habitats Standing Committee Draft Recommendation No. (adopted on 2000) on the conservation of estern ilos and the ilos viper acrovipera schweizeri The Standing Committee of the Convention on the Conservation of European ildlife and Natural Habitats, in accordance with Article 14 of the Convention, Having regard to the aims of the Convention to conserve wild flora and fauna and their n natural habitats; Recognising that estern ilos is an area of great environment value, containing valuable landscapes, wide extensions of editerranean natural habitats, and many species listed in Appendix II of the Convention (such as the onk seal onachus monachus, the Eleonora s falcon Falco Eleonorae, the ilos viper acrovipera schweizeri or the ilos lizard Podarcis milensis) which Greece is committed to protect; Noting that the ilos viper acrovipera schweizeri is an endangered species at the world level, as it is only present in four relatively small islands of the estern Cyclades (ilos, Kimolos, Polyaigos, Siphnos); Noting that the most important population of the species appears in estern ilos, an area which is very sparsely populated and which maintains mostly a natural character of high environmental value, not withstanding some localised mining activities; Recalling that the Convention provides that Parties are to give particular emphasis in their conservation efforts to endangered species, especially endemic ones; ishing that the protection of the environmental quality of estern ilos be integrated in a perspective of sustainable development for the whole island; Conscious of the need to review physical planning in ilos so as to adapt it to a looking-forward project of enhancement of natural values and promotion of a form of tourism respectful with those values; Conscious of the need to involve the local population in that project and the fundamental role of local authorities in guiding the process; Noting that a new development approach needs to be implemented coherently on all its different aspects and that, alongside with conservation measures, tourism infrastructure and, in particular the airport need to be improved;

13 T-PVS (2000) 51 elieving that the formulation of a ilos Agenda 21 (Agenda 21 for Green ilos), together with the adoption of the necessary protection measures, will create the appropriate sustainable development framework the island needs to project itself into the 21 st century, Recommends that Greece: 1. adopt a new sustainable development policy for ilos based on the promotion of environmentally sound tourism and the protection of the natural and cultural values of the island; in that context, promote the formulation of a ilos Agenda 21 and give appropriate technical and financial assistance to local authorities, encouraging them to take the lead over this process; 2. give appropriate legal protection, including its designation for the Natura 2000 Network, of most of estern ilos, excluding only the areas where present mining for kaolin is concentrated and which, as a result of their degraded state, are unsuitable for listing; include in that new protected area all coastal zones both marine and terrestrial in the south of estern ilos, as well as areas of importance for the ilos viper (optimal viper habitats and connecting land), and areas of high landscape relevance; integrate present traditional use (agriculture, hunting, grazing) into the management plan of the protected area; 3. limit any further extension of mining activities in estern ilos; define restricted areas where mining is to be concentrated for the future, giving preference to the continuation of mining activities outside estern ilos; assure the ecological and landscape restoration of areas where mining has ceased; do not authorise disruptival polluting mining activities, such as gold mining; 4. review physical planning so as to adapt land use to the new strategy of sustainable development for the island; speed revision procedures so as to be able to implement the new planning within two years; 5. consider ilos as a priority area for investment on environmental infrastructures (on water management, waste management, fire prevention, revegetation and ecological restoration of degraded areas, integrated coastal management, environmental awareness programmes, etc.) and for the implementation of pilot projects of regional development; maintain the rural character of estern ilos as a resource for green tourism; 6. give priority attention to the avoidance of road-related viper mortality; in that context adapt roads for safe viper crossing on particular black-spots and as a matter of urgency, review transport of trucks linked to mining operations (to avoid in particular night traffic from ay to September); avoid the transformation of present dust roads into asphalt roads, which would result in higher road use, increased traffic speed and a rise in vipers accidental deaths; 7. draw up a grazing management plan for estern ilos aimed at reducing over the years grazing pressures on the natural ecosystems, to permit the slow natural recovery of habitats; 8. continue research and monitoring of the species of high concern in ilos; 9. promote an awareness campaign, directed to the local population, on the ecological and landscape values of estern ilos and its rare species; consider the creation of an information environment centre; 10. maintain and reinforce present police control of illegal trade of the ilos vipers and assure prosecution of people violating protected species laws.