The Bay of Kyparissia, in Peloponnisos, South-Western Greece, is the second biggest beach of nesting of the sea turtle ?Caretta-Caretta? in the Mediterranean Sea the biggest is in the island of Zakynthos, also in West Greece.

Carreta-carreta is a species in danger of extinction. The International Union for Conservation of Nature, characterizes it to be ENDANGERED, which means that it?s very likely to become extinct. Endangered is the second most severe conservation status for wild populations, following critically endangered.

The bay mentioned above is beautiful, quiet and with many dunes which lead to a coastal pine forest along the beach.
Every June, teams of volunteers are looking for new nests and mark them suitably so that they will not be destroyed by human interference. Kyparissia is near my birthplace and this June I will participate to one of these teams.The last years there has been an increase of new turtles which come to bury their eggs, as a result of the persistent effort of the ecological organizations and the volunteers, who mark the nests, inform people about the issue and react to any action which may be disturbing for the turtles.

The Bay of Kyparissia belongs to the region Natura 2000 which is protected by the European Union as an area of significant ecological interest in Europe.

The last years, certain individuals and companies which have property near the beach, intend to initiate real estate development next to the beach, which means: construction of roads, houses and cover of the beach by umbrellas for tourist development, disregarding for the bothering on the area of nesting, and leading to a semi-destructed natural environment.
This development will be catastrophic for the turtle species, because when the newborn turtles see light or hear sound, they disorientate and instead of going to the sea they go to the opposite direction, setting their life in danger.

Many residents of the area and ecological organizations such as 

ARXELON http://www.archelon.gr/eng/ourdeltia.php?row=row10&nid=702 , 

MEDASSET http://www.medasset.org/en/ 

WWF Hellas http://wwf.gr/en/news/1336-council-of-europe-urges-greece-to-stop-plans-to-destroy-southern-kyparissia-bay 

reacted immediately and asked from the Greek government not to allow the implementation of the development plans.

They also resorted to the European Union which sent them to the Court of the European Union asking for the conviction of Greece for not taking the necessary measures for the protection of the natural habitat of the endangered turtle.

Also, the Permanent Committee of Berne convention for the conservation of the wild life and the natural environment of the European Union invited the Greek government to avoid the downgrading of the area and demanded the permanent prohibition of building in the area.

We should show the world that the only, and finally the most efficient way of development, and particularly for tourist development, is sustainable development, which does not damage the environment and it maintains it unchanged for the next generations.

(sorry for the repost, I accidentally deleted the previous one )