Filenews 3 April 2023
Paphos receives thousands of visitors both from other cities in Cyprus and from all over the world. However, in recent years, the "green visitors" who now visit it regularly are considered special. These are the sea turtles, which show their preference in Pafos with the permanent nests that exist along the northwest coast of the province.
These are emphasized in a study prepared by students of Agios Theodoros High School in Pafos, as part of the work of the institution of "Young Journalists". For the purposes of their research, the students of Pafos visited the Environmental Training Centre of Akrotiri during which, as they report, they were informed that there are 300 recorded nests by the Department of Fisheries.
"We will see the turtles swimming very close to the shores of Paphos as well as in the area of Kato Paphos in the harbour," they report in their paper. "The team of "Young Journalists" of our school wondered how the intense rhythms of the city can coexist with them. Therefore, a survey began with questionnaires to the regular winter swimmers of Pafos from the SODAP area to the Municipal Baths, where in recent years the presence of turtles has been intense. Also, in order to understand the behaviour of these animals, our team attended a workshop at the KPE of Akrotiri about their lives, their characteristics and the threats they receive".
The children of Agios Theodoros High School confirmed based on their research, that a small number of turtles do swim in this particular area. Of the 46 people surveyed, 50 percent said they could recognize their species and the other 50 percent did not.
In their research, the students emphasize: "Also, through the interviews we had, all participants admitted that turtles were probably attracted to the area in the past. The most likely reasons why they are attracted to the area are their nests, food or some other reason. Also, when asked in the questionnaire in which cases they can become aggressive, 80% of respondents answered during the breeding season and 20% never. Therefore, during the summer months, when their night visits come to our attention, it is advisable not to disturb them. Because the only thing we will achieve is to remove them from the shore and give birth in the water, thus losing any chance for future hatchlings or, in the rare case, attacking if it feels threatened."
Another possibility of seeing turtles during the day is when they are injured or washed ashore dead, the students point out in their research. The questionnaires show that 45% of the participants have seen injured turtles, probably from water sports in the area or from small boats and fishing boats attracted by the city's harbour.
"Our article is explicitly linked to Sustainable Development Goal 14 "Life in Water". What we want to emphasize through this is the protection of marine life and especially the protection of these animals that are threatened by both nature and humans with their activities near the coasts through the intense rhythms of the city. The injured turtles are transported by DFMR personnel or authorized bodies for treatment to the Sea Turtle Rescue Centre operating at the Cyprus Marine Aquaculture Research Centre (DFMR) in Meneou".
In the study of Pafos students on "green visitors" at the port of Kato Pafos, some basic information or advice is provided for our proper behaviour towards these protected species. The students of Alexandrou Christos, Efstathiou Nikolas and Makrinikola Zacharias of class B3 of Agios Theodoros High School worked on the study together with their responsible teacher Aspasia Zenonos.
