A small concrete bridge recently built over a stream near Kotsia beach between Chlorakas and Lemba that was blocking eels from swimming upstream has been demolished.
The Greens welcomed the demolition of the bridge by the district office of Paphos.
The party noted that the bridge was built illegally by the community council of Chlorakas and endangered the survival of the European eel population (anguilla anguilla)which is on the IUCB’s Red list of threatened species.
“As Greens we express our satisfaction that the demolition order was acted upon and we hope that procedures will be set in motion for our demolition orders that remain pending, to be acted upon, such as that pending for the livestock unit on the cliffs of Hanoutaru that belongs to Kykkos Bishopric,” it said.
Last month, the Chlorakas Cultural and Environmental Association had written to authorities alerting them of the problem with the bridge and expressing concern about the coastal area between Lemba and Chlorakas.
The bridge before it was demolished
The Argokalamos stream leads to Kotsia beach between Lemba and Chlorakas. The bridge’s foundations have conduits, but these are elevated above the water level, thereby blocking the water flowing to the sea and by extension the eels.
The European Union has introduced measures to protect the anguilla anguilla which oblige member states to designate natural habitats and develop national management plans.
The anguilla anguilla begin their life cycle in the ocean and spend most of their lives in fresh inland water, or brackish coastal water, returning to the ocean to spawn and then die.
