Lady’s Mile turtle protection a ‘disgrace’, Terra Cypria says, accusing British Bases

Local British BasesenvironmentTop Newsturtles Lady’s Mile turtle protection a ‘disgrace’, Terra Cypria says, accusing British Bases Lady's Mile Turtle Protection A 'disgrace', Terra Cypria Says, Accusing British Bases Relevant News Lady’s Mile turtle protection a ‘disgrace’, Terra Cypria says, accusing British Bases 16 June 2026 Protaras Riviera? 16 June 2026 After 108 days of a war reality show, Trump’s fanfare remains — and thousands are dead 16 June 2026 Newsroom 16 June 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Terra Cypria, a Cyprus environmental protection foundation, says Lady’s Mile beach is suffering from an uncontrolled situation and a lack of meaningful management and oversight, benefiting private interests at the expense of the coastal ecosystem and sea turtles. The foundation is calling on the British Bases to act immediately to protect the area. In a lengthy statement on its website, Terra Cypria published photographs and videos of activities at Lady’s Mile’s catering venues, noting that “despite the fact that the beach falls within the sovereign area of the British Bases and is protected under existing legislation, the picture it presents today is characterised by institutional indifference, tolerance and neglect.” Reminding that Lady’s Mile is one of the beaches used by sea turtles for breeding and egg-laying and must receive strict protection, Terra Cypria said a state of poor conservation of the species and their habitats is being observed, due to human activities with serious negative impacts. Specifically, it added, light pollution and noise pollution from catering and leisure venues, as well as events and parties organised on the beach, are affecting the turtles, their reproductive activity and their hatchlings. There is also intense human presence and disturbance, mainly during the evening hours, due to the illegal organisation of events on the beach, “with the full tolerance of the competent authorities,” the foundation said, while beach furniture installed on the sand, including bulky sunbeds, tables, umbrellas and other structures, should be removed after sunset and before sunrise. Terra Cypria also raised concerns about recreational activities carried out without the required permits, environmental approvals and necessary checks, the accumulation of rubbish and inadequate beach cleaning, uncontrolled vehicle movement and parking on the beach or the adjacent dunes and dune ecosystems, and the uncontrolled presence of dogs and other activities affecting the nests of protected species. All of the above, the statement added, “amount to a picture not simply of poor management, but of systematic tolerance of practices that undermine the conservation of such an environmentally sensitive area,” and it noted that “at Lady’s Mile, the absence of daily monitoring and meaningful enforcement of the law is deafening.” “For exactly this reason, the indifference and/or inability of the British Bases Administration to protect the area now constitutes a serious political and environmental issue,” Terra Cypria said, calling on the British Bases to ensure the area is managed “on the basis of its environmental needs and not on the basis of pressure from private individuals.” The statement said only two of the six catering and leisure venues at Lady’s Mile are located on private or church-owned land, while the remaining four are on state-owned coastal forest land, adding that “while some owners respect the area in which they operate and follow the law, others systematically break it, demonstrating the failure and/or unwillingness of the British Bases Administration to enforce the existing legislation.” Terra Cypria’s Executive Director, Koulla Michael, said “the situation at Lady’s Mile is a disgrace for every competent authority that knows and does not act,” adding that “sea turtles and protected species cannot pay the price of inaction, tolerance and the effort not to upset certain private business owners.” The foundation is calling on the British Bases to demonstrate in practice that they manage the area with environmental responsibility and respect for existing legislation, through systematic inspections, enforcement of the law, the imposition of strict and deterrent sanctions, adherence to lawful procedures, restoration of legality and meaningful protection. The British Bases’ response Following Terra Cypria’s recent publication regarding enforcement activity and the protection of turtle nests at Lady’s Mile, the British Bases Administration (SBAA) provided the following statement. An SBAA spokesperson said: “We recognise the challenges of managing a sensitive environmental location which is also in heavy demand for use by those living here and tourists. Our priority is the environmental protection of the area and the safety of those using it. “During last year’s nesting season, we had close to 300 turtle nests on our beaches, including Lady’s Mile, and we continue to undertake numerous beach cleans to keep habitats safe. We also enforce strict protective legislation under the EU-aligned Protection and Management of Nature and Wildlife Ordinance. Offenders face fines of up to 17,000 euros and imprisonment of up to three years for disturbing nests or turtles. “Daily patrols, the use of aluminium nest cages to deter predators and strict regulations on beach activities form the backbone of the civil enforcement programme. “Our commitment to enforcing the legislation on turtle nests was also made clear during our Chief Officer, Fleur Thomas’ meeting with Terra Cypria on May 14.” (information from CNA) Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Protaras Riviera? After 108 days of a war reality show, Trump’s fanfare remains — and thousands are dead Energy security and geopolitical stability Attorney General cannot handle ‘Mafia State’ case due to conflict, lawyer says The last gift of Irvin Yalom? Overnight pharmacies on Tuesday, June 16 Fête de la Musique Limassol celebrates World Music Day this June Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.