A total of 224 turtle nests were recorded on beaches within the Sovereign Base Areas this year to reinforce the success of long-term conservation efforts, a press release by the SBAs says.
This milestone, it adds, was achieved between May and October and reflects over two decades of committed, science-led protection of endangered Green (Chelonia mydas) and Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) turtles.
“The SBAs apply a ‘minimum-intervention’ conservation protocol which focuses on preserving natural habitats, limiting human interference and enforcing protective legislation under the EU-aligned Protection and Management of Nature and Wildlife Ordinance. Offenders face fines of up to pound 17,000 and imprisonment of up to three years for disturbing nests or turtles” it notes.
Daily patrols, it continues, the use of aluminium nest cages to deter predators and strict regulations on beach activities form the backbone of the conservation programme and are largely credited for the increase in nests.
Senior Policy and Enforcement Officer at the SBAs Environment Department, Alexia Perdiou, said that ‘what we are seeing today is the result of consistent, science-based protection measures that began more than two decades ago.’
British and Cypriot volunteers living within the SBAs and Republic of Cyprus have been another factor in the success, alongside the close working relationship with Terra Cypria, an NGO that coordinates volunteer efforts along Lady’s Mile beach, the press release says.
As nesting season draws to a close, the SBAs reaffirm their commitment to safeguarding one of the Mediterranean’s most important turtle nesting habitats, ensuring that future generations of turtles continue to return to these protected shores, the press release concludes.