OVER 30,000 baby turtles were hatched in Cyprus last year, accord to the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research.
Around 12,000 Green Turtles and Caretta Caretta were released from the protected nests in the Lara-Toxeftra area and 18,000 to 20,000 thousand Caretta Caretta from the protected nests in Chrysochous Bay.
Both species are threatened by extinction in the Mediterranean and have been declared as priority species by the European Union.
“In the last few years an important increase in the number of nests has been observed in both areas,” said Myroula Hadjichristophorou Senior Officer of the Department.
“In Lara-Toxeftra there are 200 nests from both species of turtles and in the Polis-Limni area there are 350 Caretta Caretta nests.”
Hadjichristophorou said the Cyprus Turtle Conservation Project was potentially the most successful in the Mediterranean, since it is the only one that shows a marked increase in the turtle population.
The project was set up in 1978 following surveys in 1976 and 1977.
“The Department decided to choose the beaches of Lara-Toxeftra, because after the conclusion of the surveys, we found out that a big number of nests were there,” said Hadjichristophorou.
The project aims at protecting and managing the important nesting beaches, protecting eggs and hatchlings mainly from foxes and from human activities, protecting adult turtles, monitoring the turtle population and nesting activity in Cyprus, and raising public awareness in turtle conservation.
“When we launched the project in 1978, 80 per cent of the nests were destroyed by foxes,” Hadjichristophorou.
Hadjichristophorou said that the Polis-Limni-Lialia area will be included in the EU Programme, Natura 2000.
“The area is the most important area for Caretta Caretta turtles nests,” she said adding: “This year, around 100 Green Turtles and 300 Caretta Carettas will mature in Cyprus”
The nests in the Lara-Toxeftra Reserves and in Polis-Limni are protected with special aluminium cages. Nests located in tourist beaches and mainly Coral Bay in Paphos are moved to the hatchery at Lara. In addition, nests too near the sea are relocated higher up on the same beach.
Green Turtles mature at the age of 25-30 years and Caretta Caretta when they reach 15-20 years old. Caretta Caretta start nesting at the end of May and usually finish by mid August, and Green Turtles start and finish approximately two weeks later.
During the season a turtle may lay 3-5 rounds. Caretta lay about 80 eggs in each round and Greens about 120. The eggs incubate with the heat of the sun and hatch about seven weeks later.
Turtle hatchlings are attracted to light, and following their instinct they move towards the brightest spot in their surrounding environment, which they consider as the way to the sea.
Artificial light near the beach disorientates the hatchlings and instead of going to the sea they end up dying of dehydration.
