The Olive Grove Catastrophe
 The olive groves which blanket Corfu have stood for four hundred years, creating a landscape which has attracted artists and writers from Edward Lear to Lawrence Durrell, and which is admired today by almost a million annual visitors.
Four million trees were planted by the Venetians, and their oil, which they called liquid gold, was used for lighting fuel throughout the Empire. Until very recently, olive oil was the main staple of the diet amongst the local people, and still today many would never dream of cooking with anything else.
Unlike in other parts of Greece, Corfu's trees are not pruned, and the olives are allowed to drop as they ripen, rather than being beaten off the branches. As a result, the trees grow tall and sinuous, as depicted in the paintings of Edward Lear.
Now this landscape is under threat. A combination of factors means that farmers can no longer make a living from their olive trees, and, to obtain quick cash, many are cutting these ancient trees down to the ground to sell the wood.
The wood is sold to fuel pizza ovens in Italy, and some of it is pulped and sold back to Corfiots as toilet paper. It's possible in the future that our grandchildren will ask what happened to the four million olive trees that used to cover Corfu, and we'll have to answer that they were flushed down the toilet.
But we have to ask WHY the local people are cutting down their trees. For many of them, it's an economic necessity. Locals who own tourist accommodation in some resorts are receiving from the tour operators as little as 22 euros per bed per week - that's per week, not per night. From this they have to pay all the expenses, like electricity and laundry from this, plus the bank loans most of them got to build their apartments. It's hardly viable, and they really need the extra cash. The olive trees are in most cases their only other asset. So when you see an olive grove cut down to the ground, it's likely that the owner is in deep financial trouble.
The price of the destruction is about 230 euros a ton, and after the handling expenses, the owner will get about 100 euros a ton. So a large olive grove will give a profit of around 1500 euros - little enough, but many really do need this money. The irony is that it's about the equivalent of the price that the Venetians paid to have the trees planted, so now the Italians are paying for the trees a second time.
According to the Agriculture Office, the deterrent is a law dating from 1926 which banned cutting of the trees - and offenders are fined the equivalent of 500 drachmas.
Now, a lengthy study has been made, and there have been proposals for a new national law, increasing the penalties. The study values the trees not only for their oil, but also for their importance to the landscape.
Under the canopy of the olives, a whole ecosystem has evolved. Many flowers and plants thrive in the semi-shade and the fertile top-soil created by the trees, and insects and small animals are dependent on this plant life. Cutting of the trees wipes out this ecosystem, and if unchecked could lead in the long-term to soil erosion and a change in the micro-climate.
Even disregarding this damage, the cruel cropping of the trees destroys the characteristic feature of Corfu's landscape - one of the features which distinguishes the island from other tourism destinations. So many visitors return to Corfu again and again because it is so green. Will they return when it is a desert? Will they return when the green is gone?
(This article first appeared in "The Corfiot" English Language Monthly.)
Where are all the fish?
 Why is fish so expensive here in Corfu and why is fresh fish difficult to find in many restaurants when surely the waters around the island must be teeming? The obvious answer is depletion of stocks due to over fishing and bad practices.
Europe's fisheries chief unveiled a plan recently to prevent the extinction of Mediterranean marine species including swordfish and octopus, already at dangerously low levels due to years of over fishing. Species such as hake, swordfish, octopus and sardines - firm favourites on Mediterranean dinner tables - are also on the danger list.
Under the proposals set out by EU Commissioner Franz Fischler, fishermen would use nets with bigger holes, preventing them from catching young fish, and trawlers would stay out of coastal zones. "This proposal is a fresh approach to achieve sustainable fishing to safeguard the future of 100,000 fishermen," he said in a statement.
Our Second Spring!
 This is the time of year when we are enjoying the "Second Spring" here in Pelekas. Against the lush green grass, kept moist by autumn rains, bright crocuses emerge. Alongside them, starry yellow flowers burst against a seemingly green sky of grass. In Corfu ,a carpet of wildflowers means autumn as much as spring.
When looking for wildflowers, look down, where autumn anemones will unexpectedly catch the eye, seeming too frail and lovely to be growing wild. Crocuses and anemones unite the seasons in Greece, with some varieties in blossom in all but the coldest places. In partial shade, keep your eyes open for the Cyclamen Graecum -literally, Greek Cyclamen - , whose flowers look like butterflies with their wings closed, perched on top of bare stems. The long-stemmed narcissus serotinus flowers from September to October. If you stay in Pelekas in Autumn, take a walk around the outskirts of the village and enjoy the autumn jewels you will find growing everywhere.
Cookery Corner
We thought maybe you'd like the opportunity to re-create some of your favourite Corfiot taverna recipes at home. With the preceding article in mind, this issue we bring you Skordalia (Garlic Sauce). This sauce is traditionally served with fried salt cod on March 25th, Palm Sunday and August 6th, but is eaten on many other occasions. It is good with any fried fish, fried courgettes or aubergines, and boiled vegetables.
Ingredients
6 cloves garlic. 4 medium potatoes boiled and mashed. 4 or more large slices of bread soaked in water and squeezed dry. ½ cup to ¾ cup good olive oil. ½ cup white vinegar.
Instructions
Pound the garlic in a mortar with a pestle until mashed. Continue pounding while very gradually adding the potatoes and bread, beating until the mixture resembles a paste. Slowly add the oil, alternately with the vinegar making sure that each is absorbed. You may now put in a food processor and blend while continuing to add oil and vinegar. If the mixture is lumpy it should be put through a sieve. Add salt to taste. Place in a glass serving dish and chill. Will keep for 1 week.
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Editorial
One of the ways in which the pattern of tourism in Corfu is slowly changing is in the growth of eco-tourism. The variety and richness of Corfu's eco-systems provide a wide range of opportunities for alternative holiday experiences. Those taking advantage range from walkers to photographers and divers.
Corfu already has an existing tourist infrastructure and experience in working with organised groups. This, allied with initiatives like the Corfu Trail, means that those looking for an alternative holiday in Corfu are well catered for.
According to a World Wildlife Fund study, the development of eco-tourism in Greece should not only protect the natural environment, but also enhance it. Even in built-up coastal regions the emphasis should be on sustainable tourism.
One of the results of these initiatives is that visitors are becoming more aware of the opportunities offered by previously unexploited parts of the island. Several traditional villages are now offering accommodation for the first time. For instance, as overnight stops for walkers.
Maybe Corfu's fledgling eco-tourism, while never completely replacing the existing resort-style holidays, is the face of the future.
Spraying ban in operation
After a decision by the Prefecture of Corfu, aerial spraying of Corfu's olive trees with the chemical Lebaycid was discontinued from the end of August this year. The spraying used to take place every summer against the Dacus fly which destroys the olive crop. Lebaycid has been at the centre of a dispute for more than ten years between ecologists who consider it a danger to the environment, and farmers who regard it the duty of the local authorities to protect their olive crop. Many local people are concerned about Lebaycid's possible effect on wildlife and on human health.
Aerial spraying will now take place using Spinosad, an ecologically friendly product which was successfully tested in Corfu last year. Other measures tested are Dacus traps, which have been in use successfully in the Achillion area since the local council independently banned aerial spraying.
According to a letter from the European Parliament, in reply to a question tabled by four British MEPs, spraying with Lebaycid was illegalised from 25 July. Although it was not on the list of permitted substances, its use was possible in Greece due to exemptions allowed to Member States, exemptions which expired on 25 July. After this date, chemicals not on the list are banned for use within the EU. Any subsequent application of Lebaycid was therefore illegal. Lebaycid seems unlikely to make the list of authorized substances. EU legislation is precautionary, and a product can only be authorized if it can be demonstrated that it has no harmful effects on human or animal health, or any unacceptable influence on the environment.
STOP PRESS!
A New Booking Service for Independent Travellers
We are pleased to announce a collaboration with "A Ferry To..." which allows passengers to book ferry tickets online and in real time for the first time. This service can be accessed from both pelekas.com & allcorfu.com.
We believe that this is a valuable additional resource for independent travellers coming to Corfu next summer. Check it out!
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