Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin (ISSN 0178 – 6288) . Number 133, January 2016, pp. 1-29. | Page 8

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likely cause being a morbilivirusor, more likely, a toxic algae bloom,) the mass
die-off emphasized the precarious status of a species already regarded as
critically endangered throughout its range (Wikipedia).
While still far below the early 1997 count, numbers in this all-important location
have started a slow-paced recovery ever since. Currently, the population in this
location is estimated at 200 individuals, down from some 310 in 1997, but still the
largest single colony by far. The threat of a similar incident, which could wipe
out the entire population, remains (Wikipedia).

Preservation
Damage inflicted on fishermen's nets and rare attacks on off-shore fish farms
in Turkey and Greece are known to have pushed local people towards hunting
the Mediterranean monk seal, but mostly out of revenge, rather than population
control. Preservation efforts have been put forth by civic organizations,
foundations, and universities in both countries since as early as the 1970s. For the
past 10 years, many groups have carried out missions to educate locals on
damage control and species preservation. Reports of positive results of such
efforts exist throughout the area (Wikipedia).
In the Aegean Sea, Greece has allocated a large area for the preservation of the
Mediterranean monk seal and its habitat. The Greek Alonissos Marine Park, that
extends around the Northern Sporades islands, is the main action ground of the
Greek MOm organisation. MOm is greatly involved in raising awareness in the
general public, fundraising for the helping of the monk seal preservation cause,
in Greece and wherever needed. Greece is currently investigating the possibility
of declaring another monk seal breeding site as a national park, and also has
integrated some sites in the NATURA 2000 protection scheme. The legislation in
Greece is very strict towards seal hunting, and in general, the public is very
much aware and supportive of the effort for th e preservation of the
Mediterranean monk seal (Wikipedia).
The complex politics concerning the covert opposition of the Greek government
towards the protection to the monk seals in the eastern Aegean in the late 1970s
is described in a book by William Johnson. Oil companies apparently may have
been using the Monk Seal Sanctuary project as a stalking horse to encourage
greater cooperation between the Greek and Turkish governments as a
preliminary to pushing for oil extraction rights in a geopolitically unstable area.
According to Johnson, the Greek secret service, the YPEA, were against such
moves and sabotaged the project to the detriment of both the seals and
conservationists, who, unaware of such covert motivations, sought only to
protect the species and its habitat (Wikipedia).
One of the largest groups among the foundations concentrating their efforts
towards the preservation of the Mediterranean monk seal is the Mediterranean
Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin – Number 133 – January 2016