Cyprus likely to face European court over threatened turtles

Cyprus is expected to be taken to the European Court of Justice after giving the go-ahead to a destructive tourism development in a vital sea turtle nesting area.

Limni is a crucial breeding ground for two of Cyprus' iconic species of sea turtles - the Loggerhead and Green varieties. These turtles face a very high risk of extinction in the wild, and are strictly protected under EU law.

The project – which would involve two golf courses, a 160-room hotel and 792 residential villas – is expected to impact a quarter of all Loggerhead sea turtle nests on the island, announced Friends of the Earth – Cyprus.

“Increased human disturbance is one factor, but the effect of increased direct light levels and indirect luminescence that come with residential buildings near the animals' nesting sites is also hugely problematic – newly-hatched turtles become disoriented, and end up stranded on land instead of finding their way to the sea,” read the statement.

The project received a positive opinion from the Cypriot Environment Department in early August, which would allow construction to begin in and around the Polis-Gialia marine protected site – part of the Natura 2000 network of protected areas across Europe.

Original recommendation

While the Department originally recommended a 475m building-free buffer zone from the beach, intense pressure from the construction company reduced this buffer zone to just 20m. Light-polluting hotels and villas would be constructed right up to the beachfront, continued the Friends of the Earth – Cyprus statement.

“The enormous size of the project, its proximity to the coastal nesting beach and inadequate mitigation measures, will result in irreversible damage to the two endangered turtle species. The only sure-fire way to protect the nesting sites is not to build,” it added.

The European Commission has already assessed that the project would violate EU nature laws, and so Cyprus is now likely to face a hefty fine at the European Court of Justice should construction start.

"The planned development will be a scar on the landscape and a blight to the local nature, and will mean the Cypriot taxpayer footing the hefty fine to be paid for breaking nature protection laws,” stated Natasa Ioannou from Friends of the Earth – Cyprus.

“The project – particularly the damaging hotels and villas so near to the coastline – needs to be scrapped immediately."

Read more here.

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