A large oil spill was caused at dawn on Sunday in the merchant port of Lesvos island from a major fuel leak from the passenger ferry Aegean Star.

The leak occurred when the ferry rammed into the right entrance to the harbor at dawn, causing an 8-meter rift.

The Aegean Star, headed from Chios to Lesvos in high seas and winds of 8 Beaufort velocity, rammed into the external merchant port of Mytilene at 5:20 a.m. Sunday.

The local port authority was informed of the incident one hour later, after the ship had tied in the port, although the leakage of crude oil had already started.

The passengers were safely disembarked, while a few of the trucks on board suffered damages due to the storm conditions.

Port authorities, aided by two coastguard patrol boats, the tugboat Ioannis and members of the Hellenic Rescue Team volunteers quickly set up floating barriers and spread absorbent material, and succeeded in trapping most of the oil slick, although some of the oil spilled over in a few points.

The spill was stopped at about 4:30 after the rift was sealed up.

The captain of the ship, the bridge officer on duty at the time of the accident, the chief engineer and the helmsman were arrested, by order of the Mytilene prosecutor, while the ferry was banned from sailing.

(ANA-MPA) -- "The survival of our culture, the survival of Greece as a culture, depends on clear thinking and bold decisions" when it comes to climate change, former US vice-president Al Gore emphasised in Athens on Monday during an address at an international conference.

Gore, a co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize together with the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), was the keynote speaker at the conference, where he referred to the dynamic relation between the global economic development and climate change. He also encouraged the business community to include the environmental aspects in its strategic planning taking under consideration the economic, social and political dimensions. (ANA-MPA)

Gore referred to the catastrophic wildfires in Greece over recent years, stressing that "there was no adequate public dialogue linking them with climate change ... you have shared the same experience with Australia, Russia and the United States."

As regards the risk of desertification, he said that the phenomenon is spreading north of the Sahara, and approaching Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Turkey. (ANA-MPA)

He pointed out that many Greek islands use electrical energy produced from lignite, when wind energy is abundant, stressing that speedier procedures should be implemented for the installation of photovoltaic and wind turbine generators. (ANA-MPA) He also underlined that what Europe needs is a high demand in photovoltaic systems to ignite sector research and development leading to lower cost.

Caption: Al Gore addresses a conference in Athens on Monday, Nov. 22, 2010. ANA-MPA / K. MAVRONA

Greek environmental organizations warned on Monday that the release of species alien to a specific ecosystem can be disastrous for local wildlife. The environmental organizations ANIMA, Arcturos, Kallisto and the Ornithological Society issued the warning in response to the recent release of roughly 50,000 minks from two fur farms near the towns of Kastoria and Siatista, northwest Greece.

The statement underlined that only a few of the animals will survive, given that the Greek climate is not ideal for them. They also stressed, however, that the ones that do manage to survive will seriously disrupt the ecosystem along rivers and lakes.

The prefecture of Crete on Monday designated for reforestation the expanse of the Preveli palm tree forest, which was totally destroyed by a wildfire in August.

According to the local authorities' announcement, camping and grazing are prohibited in the area for the next 10 years. The cutting of trees, branches, brush and shrubs is also forbidden, as well as all kinds of recreational activity, such as camping, biking, etc. The decision prohibits, in general, any action that may further harm the already ravaged environment, in a bid to restore and protect the forest's ecosystem.

The Environment, Energy and Climate Change ministry on Thursday set up a National Water Council that will serve in an advisory capacity to the National Water Commission on national programs for the protection and management of the country's water resources and draw up an annual report for the Commission on the condition of the water environment of the country, the implementation of legislation on the conservation and management of water and on compatibility with EU legislation.

The 26-member Council will be chaired by the Environment, Energy and Climate Change minister, and also comprise one representative each of the five parliamentary parties, experts in related fields, a representative each of the Central Union of Municipalities and Communities of Greece (KEDKE) and Union of Prefectural governments of Greece (ENAE), a representative each of the country's regional Water Boards, and representatives of the national confederation of agricultural cooperatives (PASEGES), the Federation of Greek Industries (SEB), the Public Power Corporation (PPC), the General Confederation of Workers of Greece (GSEE), the Technical and Geotechnical Chambers of Greece (TEE and GEOTEE), the Geological and Metallurgical Research Institute (IGME), the Hellenic Center for Marine Research (ELKETHE), the National Center for Scientific Research (EKEFE Demokritos, two representative for the non-governmental environmental organisations, and others.

The National Water Council will be convened at least once a year by its chairperson.