New concerns about the construction of an aquaculture port on the Pentakomo coastline, home to one of the Mediterranean’s rarest marine mammals, were raised on Tuesday by Birdlife Cyprus.

The group has sent open letters to the town planning and environment departments seeking clarifications on the licensing process and project conditions.

The letters highlight discrepancies between the formal environmental review and government tender documents regarding material quantities, and warn the project “was evaluated with incorrect data, which is misleading about its real needs and impacts.”

They also point to a three-year delay in submitting the Ayios Georgios Alamanos area for inclusion in the Natura 2000 Network, leaving this habitat “without the necessary institutional protection.”

BirdLife Cyprus also raised concern over the environmental assessment, noting that the planned asphalting of the road leading to the port was excluded from the initial evaluation.

It also questioned construction plans showing eight separate buildings despite urban planning conditions limiting warehouses to reduce visual pollution on the coastline’s distinctive white rocks.

“The Pentakomos case highlights serious weaknesses in the way environmental assessments are conducted, and project permits are issued in Cyprus,” BirdLife Cyprus Director Melpo Apostolidou said.

An ongoing court case was launched by BirdLife Cyprus earlier this year to halt the Pentakomo project, which had already begun clearing crucial coastal rock formations, threatening the habitat of the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seal.

The organisation has filed two appeals challenging both the environmental permit and urban planning approval.

“From the huge discrepancies in the project’s construction materials to the possible non-compliance with the conditions set, it is clear that citizens have a right to know the truth and demand transparency and accountability,” emphasised Apostolidou.

Birdlife has described its legal challenge as a landmark for environmental justice in Cyprus as it marks the first time a large-scale development was halted solely on environmental grounds.

“Whatever the outcome, this case has already made history in Cyprus, showing that nature can, and must, have its day in court.”