Opok Urges Akamas to Be Managed as One Protected Area

Nicosia, Cyprus. The federation of environmental organisations (Opok) on Thursday urged that Akamas be handled as one unified protected area, cautioning that piecemeal planning could weaken efforts to safeguard the peninsula’s ecosystem. The statement was released while the House audit committee was examining a special Audit Office report on Akamas.

Call for a unified approach

Opok argued that Akamas, together with the national forest park, requires special protection as a single area instead of being governed by separate, fragmented plans. It warned that the effects of such fragmentation have already been seen in other places, where in some cases the environmental harm cannot be reversed.

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EU directives and conservation objectives

The federation asked for EU directives on habitats and wildlife to be applied in full, and for specific conservation objectives to be set. Citing rulings of the Court of Justice of the European Union, it said environmental assessments cannot be carried out properly unless such objectives have been defined beforehand.

Decrees and restoration

Opok also called for the necessary decrees to be issued and for the environmental damage caused by works in the area to be repaired.

Audit Office findings

Referring to the Audit Office’s special report, Opok said its conclusions point to serious weaknesses in how projects were planned and supervised, along with possible omissions and questions over who bears responsibility. The federation asked for clarification on whether environmental and contractual obligations were fulfilled, and on what the projects mean for public spending.