Within the framework of WWF Greece’s project “Conservation of the island wetlands of Greece”, 66 complaint reports submitted to the authorities about the degradation of 34 wetlands on Crete. The response of the administration officials was broadly satisfactory but this proved to be insufficient. There is almost complete absence of surveillance, unwillingness to impose sanctions, overwhelming delay in court litigation procedures and the responsibilities cannot be specifically attributed, as they can be transferred amongst authorities and decision-makers. Both indirect and direct human-induced pressures on these ecosystems are so intense on Crete that, if this situation does not change, the extinction of these ecosystems is a matter of a few decades.