Cyprus Sinks Cargo Ship to Make First Artificial Reef

Tourism

Cyprus Sinks Cargo Ship to Make First Artificial Reef

December 9, 2019

Cyprus Daily Life

NICOSIA – Hoping to create the area’s first artificial reef, a 63-meter (207-foot) cargo ship was sunk off Cyprus’ coast, a project aimed at letting underwater marine life grow and attract divers from abroad to help tourism.

“We are talking about a typical sustainable development project that contributes to the enrichment and the protection of the marine biodiversity and at the same time, at the enrichment of the touristic product and the economic activity of the area in a sustainable way,” said Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Costas Kadis.

The news agency Reuters and The Cyprus Mail reported that the commercial vessel, named Elpida, had been destined for scrap but instead it will lie 30 meters (98-feet) below the surface off the port city of Lanarca to be followed by a smaller vessel that will be sunk.

Within 24 hours of its sinking, divers took pictures at the Elpida, the biggest of five vessels sunk so far and it’s now of the Palm Beach hotel in Larnaca about two kilometers, about 1.24 miles from shore.

The hope is that the vessel will breed shelters, growth and feeding sites for many species of marine flora and fauna, contributing substantially to the protection and development of biodiversity in the region.

Kadis said that the boat was sunk in an area that has been studied and presents relatively limited natural reefs and other habitats and “is expected to significantly contribute to the creation of shelters, growth and feeding site for many species of marine flora and fauna, contributing substantially to the protection and development of biodiversity in the region.”

He also said that artificial reefs, “create opportunities for sustainable development by promoting diving tourism and encouraging scientific research.”

“The Larnaca marine protected area will be a reference point for all who love and enjoy the sea,” the minister said.

The fisheries department is promoting creation of artificial reefs and other similar projects, totaling 2.2 million euros ($2.44 million) part of the so-called Thalassa scheme for the 2014-2020 programming period, 75 percent subsidized by the European Union.

Over 100 Pilot Whales Beached on Western Australian Coast Have Been Rescued, Officials Say

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — More than 100 long-finned pilot whales that beached on the western Australian coast Thursday have returned to sea, while 29 died on the shore, officials said.

Greek Pres. Sakellaropoulou from Chile: Democracy and the Rule of Law are Interrelated

SANTIAGO, Chile - The President of the Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, referred to the special intellectual, artistic and political relations between Greece and Chile, which is due to common experiences, especially their modern history, in the speech she addressed to the historic University of Chile, on the topic "Democracy and human rights: 50 years since the coup in Chile - 50 years since the restoration of Democracy in Greece.

SYRIZA Leader Kasselakis: We Will Be First in the Euroelections

Main opposition SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance leader Stefanos Kasselakis expressed his certainty that his party will be first in the European elections in an interview with ALPHA TV on Thursday evening.

A US-Led Effort to Bring Aid to Gaza by Sea is Moving Forward. But Big Concerns Remain

JERUSALEM (AP) — The construction of a new port in Gaza and an accompanying U.

A Look at Past and Future Cases Harvey Weinstein Has Faced as His New York Conviction is Thrown Out

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Harvey Weinstein's landmark New York sexual assault conviction was thrown out by an appeals court Thursday, and most of the dozens of civil cases filed against him since he became a central target in the #MeToo movement in 2017 have either been settled or dismissed.

Tourism