Pafos Live 9 April 2024
The inauguration of the Athalassa Beekeeping Park at the Athalassa National Forest Park, the first organized beekeeping park to be installed on state forest land, was held yesterday by the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Dr. Maria Panagiotou.
The inauguration event was addressed by the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, the Commissioner for the Environment, Ms Antonia Theodosiou, the Deputy Director of the Department of Forests, Dr Andreas Christou and the President of the Board of Directors of Cyta, Ms Maria Tsiakka.
The Athalassa Beekeeping Park that we are inaugurating today is a tangible example of our efforts to protect pollinators and support information and awareness actions for citizens, the Minister of Agriculture stressed in her address. He also pointed out the essential role of the bee in maintaining the ecological balance and biodiversity, as well as the need to protect it for both the environment and humans. Furthermore, Dr. Panayiotou referred to the measures and actions taken by the Ministry in this direction, such as the implementation of the National Action Plan for the Sustainable Use of Plant Protection Products, the support of farmers for the protection of pollinators through the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan, as well as the beekeeping sector under the Beekeeping Program. In addition, he noted that the Ministry is working on measures to support beekeepers affected by the catastrophic fire in Arakapas, through the Tree Planting Program aimed at tackling climate change.
Our forests are oases for bees, and their protection is very high on the goals and priorities of the Department of Forests, stressed Dr. Christou. He then referred to the important actions that the Department implements to support their populations, which have brought spectacular results. Only in the Athalassa Park 5 years ago there were only 20 hives, while today permits are issued for the placement of more than 500 hives, and of course on a nationwide scale this number is many times higher, he noted.
The attendees of the ceremony had the opportunity to taste four different types of honey, see a hive and get information about the bee which were prepared in collaboration with the Beekeeping Section of the Department of Agriculture. The park was also visited by children from the Primary School of Hadjigeorgakis Kornesios.
The Athalassa Beekeeping Park has an area of 4 decares, is part of the National Forest Park of Athalassa, and is located in its eastern part. It is a theme park dedicated to the bee and the role it plays in the life of modern man, as well as in the survival of our planet in general. It includes a lake with drinking water for bees, a variety of beekeeping plants, traditional givertia, a modern hive and a walking path with rich information material. Work on its creation began in 2022 and was completed in 2024. The park was designed and constructed with co-financing by the Department of Forests and Cyta, with a total cost of €30,000.
