Project launched to restore Akrotiri marsh

Conservationists have launched a project to restore the Akrotiri Marsh (also known as Fassouri Marsh) with funding from the UK government through the Darwin Initiative, it was announced on Monday.

This unique wetland, inside the British bases, is very important for rare bird species, amphibians, invertebrates and plants.

The connection between the marsh and humans dates back centuries as the area supplied the raw materials for the traditional activity of basketry as well as grazing area for the animals of the residents of Akrotiri.

The marsh is part of the Akrotiri wetland complex, the most important wetlands in Cyprus.

However,  Fassouri Marsh has seen its ecological value been degraded over the last few decades and needs the site to be managed in order to preserve it, BirdLife said.

The two-year project will include water management and improved nesting and foraging conditions.

Through the Darwin Plus project “Akrotiri Marsh Restoration: a flagship wetland in the Cyprus SBAs” conservationists aim to enhance the biodiversity of the marsh by restoring it to a mosaic of habitats and strengthening the connection between the area and the Akrotiri community.

It aims to improve nesting and foraging conditions for important bird species such as the Spur-winged Lapwing, the Black-winged Stilt and the Ferruginous Duck, manage vegetation using unique Cyprus breed grazing cattle and water management of the site.

“This unique wetland is very important for rare bird species, amphibians, invertebrates and plants. The connection between the marsh and humans dates back centuries,” BirdLife said.

The project is being implemented by BirdLife Cyprus, the Akrotiri Environmental Education Centre and RSPB (BirdLife UK).

For more information on the project visit  www.akrotirimarsh.org

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.