Akamas works ‘on the right track’

Environmentalists on Sunday expressed satisfaction with the latest government report into construction works in the Akamas.

The supplementary report proposes a series of corrective measures to restore environmental damage caused in the area by a series of interventions identified and denounced by these environmental organisations, the said.

The environmental organisations BirdLife Cyprus, Terra Cypria, the Wildlife Protection Association (CWS) and the Initiative for the Conservation of Natural Coasts, as well as independent members of the ad hoc committee for the Special Ecological Assessment said they were “satisfied” with the content of the supplementary report.

The infringements concerned the non-compliance with the legally binding terms of the initial Special Ecological Assessment for construction works that aim to improve the road network in the Akamas.

Violations include (unnecessary) ‘walls’, dumping of materials and rubble on undisturbed ground and arbitrary widening of the road network.

The environmental organisations said they considered the remedies proposed in the supplementary report to repair the damage “a positive development” in the right direction for the future of Akamas.

Also positive is the commitment to re-evaluate at the level of an ad hoc committee the next phases of improvement of the road network in Akamas and the visitor service ‘junctions’, they said.

At the same time, the agriculture minister has pointed out that the conclusions of the administrative investigation into the works are incomplete, while no responsibilities seem to be sought or assigned.

As a result, the environmental organisations said they await the outcome of the third ongoing investigation to substantiate and attribute responsibility where it is found. They said attribution is necessary to avoid such mistakes in the future.

Their statement follows the recent decision of the EU to refer Cyprus to the European Court of Justice for the inadequate protection of Natura 2000 sites.

“This development makes it even more urgent to issue ministerial decrees promoting the proper management of all Natura 2000 sites, including Akamas,” the environmentalists said.

These Management Plans include management proposals for all Natura 2000 sites in Cyprus, with specific objectives corresponding to the ecological requirements of each site.

However, they are still a work in progress and have not acquired legal force.

The environmental organisations demand that Management Plans be immediately implemented.