Environmental Concerns Growing at Lady's Mile Plajı

Environmental organizations BirdLife Cyprus and Terra Cypria, operating in Kıbrıs, have once again voiced their concerns regarding the compliance of commercial activities at Lady's Mile plajı with environmental and legal obligations. The organizations called on the İngiliz Üsler Bölgesi administration to publicly explain how it ensures the compliance of businesses in the area with environmental laws. Lady's Mile is considered a protected area of high ecological importance, and the summer season is of critical importance as it coincides with the breeding period of sea turtles and coastal and wetland bird species.

The organizations stated that activities in the area, such as night events, increased beach use in the evening hours, bright lighting, and noise, raise serious questions. Furthermore, it was expressed that large and heavy infrastructures like sunbeds, which according to the law must be removed between 7 PM and 7 AM, as well as water sports, threaten the ecological integrity of the area. It was recalled that in the past, the administration effectively enforced restrictions by regulating which activities would be allowed.

The environmental organizations said, "Bu geçmiş uygulama, hem lisanslama hem de denetim için gerekli prosedürlerin mevcut olduğunu ve gerekli idari irade olduğunda uygulanabileceğini gösteriyor." However, it was noted that an increasing deterioration in regulations has been observed over the past five years. For this reason, they called on the Limasol and Kourion municipalities to establish a transparent regulatory framework.

The İngiliz Üsler Bölgesi administration, on the other hand, stated that it acknowledges the difficulty of striking a balance between the presence of recreational activities and the protection of Lady's Mile. In a previous statement, it used the expressions, "Bölgenin doğal çevresini korumak ve ziyaretçilerin güvenliğini sağlamak en öncelikli konumuzdur." However, environmental organizations emphasize that these rhetoric are not translated into action and that concrete steps need to be taken.

Lady's Mile is a beach located on the southern coast of Kıbrıs and is heavily used by both locals and tourists. The area is also an important nesting site for endangered species such as caretta caretta and yeşil deniz kaplumbağaları. Environmental organizations warn that urgent measures must be taken to protect the beach, otherwise the ecological balance could suffer irreversible damage.