Fisheries department addresses concerns over turtle nesting on Gialia beach

The fisheries department on Friday responded to a social media post picked up by news sources, following the publication of a photo showing turtle tracks on an organised beach in Gialia.

The photo depicts four scattered sunbeds and two turtle tracks, and was explained as evidence of turtles attempting to nest, obstructed by sunbeds left in place overnight – for which the local community was said to be in non-compliance with Natura 2000 area regulations.

In its response to the post, the fisheries department sought to clarify that it is not the licensing authority for the beach. However, it does provide rules that should govern the use of organised beaches in the Natura area – in an advisory capacity it said.

The Gialia community council which supervises the beach – only one small stretch of multiple important Caretta caretta nesting sites along the Polis Chrysochous-Pomos Bay – agreed to the condition that sunbeds be moved before nightfall and be replaced in the morning, so as to not interfere with any turtle nesting activity, the fisheries department confirmed.

“After on-site checks by inspectors [it was established that] the sunbeds are [indeed] moved from the beach in question, as provided for in the terms of the beach use permit,” the fisheries department said in a statement on Friday.

The department added they had promptly investigated the situation, during which it became clear that the loungers photographed by the social media user, appear to have been moved there by after-hours visitors to the beach.

“The department has contacted the Gialia community council in order to find a solution so that similar issues do not arise in the future,” the fisheries statement said, adding that respect for conservation measures was also the duty of beachgoers.

For his part Gialia community leader, Mamas Gregoriou, told Cyprus Mail that the incident was an isolated one which happened overnight and that social media furores are often started by “moment-in-time” pictures snapped by occasional visitors, who do not necessarily understand the daily happenings at the location.

“The community of Gialia leases this beach from the forestry department,” Gregoriou detailed.

“In addition, we pay for two lifeguards who are also responsible for moving the beds higher up the beach and stacking them every evening by 7pm in two locations, to allow as much space as possible for the turtles,” the community leader said.

Gregoriou told Cyprus Mail he personally carries out spot-checks on the state of the beach in the evenings to see that the beds are placed as they should.

The community leader pointed out that the particular ‘mild development’ beach, created so that visitors would notice the location and be enticed to visit the restaurants and tourist offerings in the upper village, does not have any lights (known to disorient turtle hatchlings) and sees about ten visitors per day.

The community leases the beach for €3,300 per year, while the forty sunbeds at the site were donated by the Paphos tourism development company, the community leader said.

The lifeguards’ salaries, amounting to around €2,600 are paid jointly by the community and the Paphos district office, while the community also pays for the toilets, another €1,500.

The beach also features a donated metal turtle rubbish bin for collecting recyclable drinks containers, which the community leader says he personally empties every week.

“The turtles bring us visitors and this beach is here for the community. Social media uproars like this are not helpful for anyone,” the community leader said.