Filenews 19 July 2021 - by Dora Christodoulou
The immediate actions of the officials of the Department of Forests and the Department of Antiquities from 2018, as well as the vertical decrease in traffic due to the pandemic, contributed to a much improved situation today with regard to the rare plant Cistanche phelypaea in Geronisos, Pegia, to the point where it is considered that the risk of its extinction has actually decreased.
Revealing information of "F" indicates that this rare plant is now considered to be rescued, since in the intervening period the competent state and environmental authorities have carried out continuous observation, recording and invasive measures where necessary in order to eliminate the risk of loss of the unique plant worldwide. Supporting these efforts was the human absence from the region in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic which, according to the experts, allowed the trouble-free development of the population of this rare species of flora of our country.
According to the letter from the Department of Forests, which revealed the issue, as of May 2018, the endangered plant, Cistanche phelypaea, whose population had declined dramatically due to archaeological work over the years excavating the island. This negative development was identified by officials of the department in an on-site visit on 3 May 2018, stating characteristically that the population of the plant is now extremely small and is at risk of extinction from Cyprus.
The same letter notes that Geronisos has been declared an "Akamas National Forest Park", is part of the Nature 2000 network and is classified as a very important habitat.
