LESVOS MISSION BLUE HOPE SPOT
HOPE SPOTS:
THE EARTH’S
BLUE HEART
MISSION BLUE HOPE SPOTS
Led by legendary oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle, Mission Blue is uniting a global coalition to boost public awareness, access, and support for a worldwide network of marine protected areas. These Hope Spots are the Earth’s blue heart and are critical to the health of our ocean.
Our Lesvos Mission Blue hope Spot represents life. It’s a Hope Spot for all that’s living and nurtured by our marine areas and waters. It signifies hope and peace, and it should be honored, respected, and protected for those who will come to enjoy and use it during our lifetime and after.
WHY IS OUR HOPE SPOT IMPORTANT?
Having a Hope Spot presence in Lesvos, and Greece overall, is crucial. We have extensive coastlines and marine ecosystems that exist side by side with many commercial, fishing, and shipping activities.
In the height of the European humanitarian crisis, Lesvos saw an increasingly negative impact on marine life, caused by plastic litter and other marine waste. The fisheries are declining at an alarming pace. Local tourism needs support and differentiation and many local people are looking for alternative ways to boost quality of life and income.
Abundance
of species, historical-cultural value & economic
importance
WHY WAS LESVOS CHOSEN?
Chosen for its special abundance of migratory species, significant historical-cultural value and economic importance to the community, the Lesvos Mission Blue Hope Spot has the potential to reverse the negative impact caused by humans in recent years.
Near ancient Mythimna, a few miles from Avlaki, there are a number of caves where monk seals give birth.
Also, the little island of St. George is a breeding and nesting ground for protected bird species, like the yellow-beaked seagull.