Protecting nesting turtles

incyprus — 19/07/2015

By Bases Media

The Sovereign Base Area Administration Environmental Department is urging beach-users to be vigilant this year and avoid causing any disturbance on turtle nesting beaches.

Now at the heart of the nesting season, all sandy beaches within the SBAs – Lady’s Mile, Akrotiri turtle beaches, Kourion, Episkopi, Paramali and Evdhimou in the WSBA and Pyla-Ormidhia in the ESBA – are closely monitored to protect turtle nests until they hatch.

Volunteers walk the beaches on a daily basis but hatchlings cannot be safe unless everyone helps by avoiding disturbance that jeopardises their survival.

Alexia Perdiou, the SBAA’s Assistant Environment Officer, explained that the Administration goes to great lengths in order to keep the hatchlings safe: “Turtle nests are demarcated with a protective aluminium cage and a small sign and any disturbance to the nest is strictly prohibited.

“We would also like to warn people that camping and other activity on turtle nesting beaches at night can deter female turtles from nesting. This could lead the turtle to lay eggs in the sea which would mean that about 100 eggs which could hatch are destroyed.

“Artificial lights on the beach also disorient hatchlings and can cause them to move away from the sea. They are normally attracted by the strongest light which should be the reflection of the moon on the sea.

However, if there are artificial lights by restaurants on the beach, car lights or any other form of light, they could be attracted towards them and die.”

She also warned: “There should be no dogs on turtle nesting beaches; they constitute an extremely serious nuisance to nesting turtles. They can predate turtle nests by destroying the nest and removing eggs and they may deter turtles from nesting.”

She also warned that vehicle movements on the beach can compact the sand and make it very difficult for the turtles to dig their nest and quite often that can lead to the collapse of a nest and the destruction of the eggs.

“Leaving rubbish on turtle nesting beaches can make it difficult for the turtles to find a suitable area to nest,” she continued.

“Rubbish can also be an obstacle for hatchlings when they are trying to find their way to the sea.”

The Green and the Loggerhead turtles are both endangered, priority, species and they are strictly protected and those found interfering with their nests can be dealt with severely under the law as Alexia explained.

“Interfering with nesting turtles, eggs, hatchlings or nests is punishable with a fine up to €17,000 or with imprisonment of up to three years. Walking dogs on the beaches is punishable with a fine up to €854 or imprisonment for up to three months.

“If every beach user acts responsibly they will be positively contributing to giving turtles a better chance of survival.

“Currently only one turtle in a thousand will make it to adulthood.”

Beach-users are encouraged to call the SBA Police on 1443 if any activity that could disturb nests is spotted.