Official plays down algae report

THE FISHERIES Department yesterday played down reports of algae invading the island’s beaches.

A senior officer at the department, Antonis Oikonomou, said the reports were greatly exaggerated.

Referring to rumours that there was algae on Kornos beach in Protaras, Oikonomou, who visited the beach yesterday morning, said the algae actually found “would not half-fill a dustbin”.

He said that ever since a 1990, when algae had appeared on beaches in greater numbers than ever before, the Fisheries Department had been carrying out systematic checks on all beaches. He admitted that a small problem had recently occurred in Ayia Napa, but had been dealt with before it became serious.

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