Sea turtle populations increasing in SBA areas

Sea turtle populations are increasing in the areas around the sovereign bases following conservations efforts by military and civilian volunteers, officials said on Friday.

In 2022, a total of 172 green and loggerhead turtle nests were registered in the Western and Eastern sovereign base areas (SBA) of Akrotiri, Episkopi and Dhekelia.

According to Sovereign Base Areas Administration (SBAA) environmental officer Alexia Perdiou, this is thanks to the conservation work of volunteers at the nesting beaches.

“We are delighted with the increasing numbers of turtle nests on beaches in the Bases in recent years, which is down to the vital work we do alongside our legion of military and civilian volunteers,” she said.

The officer explained that throughout the summer months people patrol the beaches and search for turtle tracks in the early morning hours every day.

But volunteers themselves must be careful to not directly interact with any turtles or hatchlings.

“We ensure that nesting sites are protected from both human activity and invasive predators, which alongside wider conservation efforts being done throughout Cyprus will ensure these incredible animals continue to thrive,” Perdiou said.

The SBAA Environment Department co-ordinates the turtle conservation work and cooperates with volunteers and the SBA Police.

The SBAA is also supported by the UK’s Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), which funds conservation work to safeguard nesting beaches and protect those sites.