Investigations into the supposedly prohibited private event, which took place near the protected Toxeftra beach in Peyia over the weekend, will be carried out, director of the environmental department Theodolou Mesimeris said on Wednesday.

“Tolerating [violations] is no longer an option,” Mesimeris said, calling on those in charge to follow provisions and implement prevailing legislation.

He added that the environmental department was currently gathering evidence and was proceeding with its investigations.

“As was evident in the case of Saturday’s event, the recommendations of the environmental department were not followed,” Mesimeris said.

He added he had asked the Akamas municipality to cancel the event, however, that did not happen.

A meeting, including a site visit to Ayios Georgios, had taken place with the participation of Akamas mayor Marios Lambrou, the environmental department and the marine and forestry departments on Tuesday.

In their meeting, the parties agreed that the location for another event, the municipal carob festival, initially planned at the same spot this coming Friday, would be relocated, with new plans to be handed to Mesimeris by Wednesday.

Mesimeris said that upon his visit, the platform and other equipment had already been dismantled.

He said that several similar cases with non-compliance with the recommendations of the environmental department had been observed on the island, stressing that his department had prepared a number of relevant reports.

Some of the cases, Mesimeris highlighted, had been taken to the courts, while others, depending on the severity of the violation, had been resolved through out-of-court settlements.

Finally, the environmental department director urged municipalities and local authorities to cooperate and comply with their instructions

NGO Terra Cypria had on Monday claimed that the environmental department had prohibited the private party held at the protected Toxeftra beach in Peyia on Saturday only after it had already gone ahead after being approved on a municipal level.

Terra Cypria’s environmental officer Klitos Papastylianou had told the Cyprus Mail that the area was of importance not only to the sea turtles, which nest there, but also monk seals, which used it as a feeding and resting place, as well several water and sea birds, highlighting the sensitivity of the area.

The carob festival, initially set to take place at the very same area, saw the NGO voicing similar concerns.

Akamas mayor Marios Lambrou in a comment to the Cyprus Mail after the meeting on Tuesday, dismissed the criticism, claiming that the festival had happened at the same area for 13 years and that it had “never been an issue”.