As of November 30, 2024, the Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency under the Ministry of Environment and Energy, which oversees the country’s protected areas, had revoked the building permitin Marathonisi Zakynthos for the restoration works of the “historical complex of a private sanctuary, tower and farmhouse” of the Zante Marathonisi company located in Laganas Bay.

Withdrawal of permission

The reason why the authorities proceeded to revoke the permit, granted by the competent Building Authority three years ago and requested an immediate halt to the work, is due to the discrepancy between the building permit and the prohibitive provisions governing the Zante National Park.

This was preceded on November 13, by the company informing OFYPEKA of the imminent start of work (in application of the Building Permit No. 350496/21.01.2022) and on the 15th of the same month, the finding of the incomplete file of the permit due to the absence of necessary opinions (lighting study, opinions on necessary works and proper environmental impact assessment). Following this, the Agency requested the withdrawal of the building permit.

In fact, due to the transportation of construction materials and heavy machinery to the island for the construction work, a new letter was sent by OFYPEKA for an immediate cessation of work, informing all the competent authorities at the same time.

The police authorities of Zakynthos have also taken up the case. On February 10, 2025, a document was sent by the police department of the island to the YDOM (with notification to 8 other bodies) for the start of construction works, in which, due to the particularity of the area (within the zone of a marine park of Natura area), it asks to check the legality of the permit. The bodies to which the document is addressed are the Prosecutor’s Office of Zakynthos, the Ministry of the Environment, the General Directorate of the Inspectorate and Auditors, the Directorate of Natural Environment and Biodiversity of the Ministry, the Ministry of Culture, OFYPEKA, the Ephorate of Antiquities of Zakynthos, the Police Directorate of the island and the Port Authority.

To date, however, the building permit has not been revoked nor has the work on the Marathonisi site been halted. In this context, Environment and Energy Minister Theodore Skylakakis – according to the model of Milos’ Sarakinikos – yesterday instructed the case to be immediately forwarded to the National Transparency Authority to determine whether the competent Building Authority of Zakynthos has complied with all the procedures provided by law.

The complaints

The construction works on the protected island where caretta turtles birthplace, have been denounced by the environmental organisations MEDASSET-Mediterranean Association to Save the Sea Turtles ARCHELON and WWF Greece. According to them, work is underway and includes, among other things, the launching of a ferry boat, the unloading of a bulldozer and building materials and the construction of a platform on the protected beach.

The organizations complain that the permit issued in 2022 by the Building Authority of Zakynthos “completely ignores the provision of the presidential decree for the protection of the NPIZ, which prohibits the construction of buildings in this zone, while during its issuance, it does not appear that an official opinion from OFYPEKA was officially requested.“

The ecological importance of the island

The islet of Marathonisi is located within the Laganas Bay and within the National Marine Park of Zakynthos, which is governed by PD 906/D/1999, which is still in force today.

According to the Ministry of Environment, the area is classified as a nature protection area (A2) and the management objective is to ensure the particularly important nesting density of the Caretta Caretta sea turtle and the Ninas in Marathonisi, the preservation of the natural environment of the two islands as a natural habitat of characteristic Mediterranean vegetation, endemic strip, endangered species of avifauna, as well as a refuge for the Mediterranean seal.

Inspection and fines

The area was inspected by the Building Service on February 12, during which violations were found for constructions earlier than those provided for in the granted building permit and for which fines were imposed. However, among the findings of this autopsy, it appears that: a) The condition of the ruins (farmhouse and tower) and their extent are not sufficient to justify the concept of “restoration” as in most places the original buildings are not preserved to such an extent that makes restoration feasible, other more resembles reconstruction or new construction and b) The extent of the works seems to exceed the approved permit, which requires a review of the permit.

The environmental organisations had written to the Zakynthos MPA saying that the works “threaten serious and immediate degradation of the spawning beach through the compaction of sand by heavy machinery, alteration of the geomorphological composition of the beach due to the expected erosion from the dredging, destruction of the sand dunes and, finally, serious disturbance of the spawning process itself, the period of which begins on 1 May’. Only that the pressure exerted did not work and as a result the company has not stopped its work despite being on the radar of both the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Civil Protection.