Eco groups seek to block drilling off and on Greece’s western coast

The local branches of conservation groups WWF and Greenpeace have called upon Greek lawmakers to vote against an Environment Ministry bill green-lighting hydrocarbon exploration and extraction in Block 2 of the Ionian Sea, as well as the onshore blocks Arta-Preveza, Aitoloacarnania, and Northwestern Peloponnese.

In a joint statement released on Tuesday, the organizations warned that hydrocarbon extraction is damaging to the environment, while undermining the potential of local economies for sustainable development.

The Ionian Sea and the land area under concession in western Greece hosts or is adjacent to sites in the Natura 2000 network of protected areas.