December 2016 Report

 

During December the NCC team in collaboration with the Municipality team continued the efforts to speed up the signature of the Ministerial Decision for the approval of Andros MP. The Ministry staff is doing its best for finishing the relevant procedures.

During the same period, provisions and planning for the implementation of rat control activities at the Gavrionisia islet complex, but also for the implementation of the afterlife relevant activities, is taking place, to ensure a proper maintenance and monitoring of the post project rat eradication campaign.

After the project application for after life funding to cover the boat fuel needs for the rest of 2017 (after the end of the project), ELPE (Hellenic Petroleum) have decided to donate diesel to cover the boat needs and this will enable the project team to continue research and management activities for the priority species during 2017.

HOS together with the LCG and the Andros Film Club continued the arrangements to organize the screening of different documentaries with environmental and conservation message as, due to some copyright issues, the screening was not possible for December. Arrangements have also started to organize the HOS Annual Caretakers Seminar on Andros, which will take place in February 2017.

Regular patrolling at the project areas continued normally throughout the month, both in land and sea. On 24^th of December a cargo ship ran aground in bad weather and heavy seas, in the northern coast of Andros island, within marine SPA area. An operation is under way by the coastguard to minimize any possible environmental risk, which might be caused by fuel leakage and/or the cargo. Our team is closely monitoring the situation as it develops.