Filenews 20 January 2025 - by Angelos Nicolaou
At a strategic level, the Environmental Authority lit red at the Department of Public Works for the protection of the 25 km coastal front from Neo Chorio to Pachyammos with the construction of a total of 43 breakwaters.
The area examined at the level of the Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA) is approximately 25 km long and is located on the northern coastal front of Cyprus.
It is bounded on the west by the rocky outcrop next to the hotel "Anassa" and on the east by the eastern boundary of Pomos bay and the community of Pachyammos. Within the study area fall the communities / municipalities of Neo Chorio, Polis Chrysochous, Makountas, Argaka, Gialia, Agia Marina, Pomos and Pachyammos.
The Environmental Authority gave a negative opinion on the composition of the solutions of the project under assessment, due to the significant, direct but also indirect, long-term, irreversible and cumulative environmental impacts that may result from its implementation.
It is noted that the Report of the Special Ecological Assessment Study has shown that the plan will potentially affect the integrity of Natura 2000 sites and its implementation is not recommended.
According to the Environmental Authority, the alternative solutions under evaluation mostly focused on hard project solutions, taking into account that the results from the application of mathematical simulation models refer only to those related to the alternative solutions of hard projects (e.g. breakwaters and overhangs perpendicular to the shore).
The proposal of artificial replenishment, as proposed as a mild alternative solution, was made in combination with other hard works, aiming at reducing the loss of sediment and the need for annual replenishment.
In the evaluation of the Plan, the following were taken into serious consideration by the Environmental Authority:
1) The significant impact on protected species and habitats found throughout the study area and the importance of preserving it as a whole, thus protecting all stages of the biological cycle of the species found within it, including feeding, reproduction and rest. It is noted that the uniqueness of biodiversity focuses not only on the species of marine reptiles (Caretta caretta and Chelonia mydas) and mammals (Monachus monachus) found in the study area, but also on the biotic communities recorded in the hard substrate of the area.
2) The significant, irreversible impact of the marine habitats included in the study area, where, according to the EIA, it is estimated that a total of 45.353.36 sq.m. of the habitat "sandbanks continuously covered by shallow sea water (1110)", 23.395 sq.m. of the habitat "reefs (1170)" and 16.086 sq.m. of the priority habitat "areas of sea vegetation with Posidonia (Posidonion oceanicae) (1120*)" will be affected, due to the construction of the proposed Plan.
3) The significant impact of sea turtle nesting beaches found throughout the study area, not only within the Special Area of Conservation Polis – Gialia (CY4000001). The importance of the study area for the sea turtle species present there is particularly mentioned both in the Polis Chrysochous Policy Statement, where it is stated that in the coastal part of the area of Polis Chrysochous (from the location "Kouzouthkia", up to the eastern boundary of the Policy Statement) it is required, inter alia, not to "carry out any coastal protection works on the coastal front (marinas, vertical breakwaters, shields, etc.'. The same reference exists in the Chrysochous Bay Local Plan.
4) The indirect environmental impacts that will arise due to the provision of quarry materials for the construction of the proposed projects, the quantities of which have not been specified in the EIA under assessment, but are estimated to be large, taking into account the quantities required for the construction of projects of this nature.
5) According to the Department of Antiquities, "the project is extremely intrusive to the marine and coastal environment, with potential multiple consequences for the protection of underwater cultural heritage".
6) The potential impact on marine habitat 8330 'Sea caves wholly or partly below sea level'.
7) The potential influence of marine mammals (Monachus monachus). At the western end of Subarea 1 there is a sea cave which is used by the Mediterranean monk seal for rest and reproduction, due to the special geomorphological conditions of this cave. This cave falls within the Marine Protected Area "Halavro".
The five subregions and measures proposed
The team of researchers divided the study area into five subareas:
a) Sub-area 1 extends from the western boundary of the study area to the natural outcrop of the coastline east of the beach of the camping site. It is proposed to build nine detached low-coronation breakwaters.
b) Sub-area 2 extends from the beach east of the camping site, after the natural protrusion of the coastline in the Municipality of Polis Chrysochous to the western boundary of the beach of the community of Argaka. It is proposed to build 13 detached low-coronation breakwaters.
c) Sub-area 3 extends from the western boundary of the beach of the community of Argaka to the western boundary of the coastal front of the community of Nea Dimmata. It is proposed to build seven detached low-coronation breakwaters.
d) Sub-area 4 extends from the coastal front of the community of Nea Dimmata to the fishing shelter of Pomos. It is proposed to build nine detached low-coronation breakwaters. The seven breakwaters (west of the fishing shelter and in front of the building where the community is housed) and two more at the cape west of the refuge.
e) Sub-area 5 extends from the fishing shelter of Pomos to the eastern end of Pachyammos beach. It is proposed to build a detached low-coronation breakwater east of the Pomos refuge and to build four detached low-coronation breakwaters on Pachyammos beach.
