Turtles washed up not ‘mass stranding’, authorities say

A couple of dead turtles or fish do not constitute a “mass stranding”, the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research has said regarding reports that turtles had washed up on Pervolia beach in Larnaca.

The department put the sighting down to an isolated incident and pointed out that turtle deaths were not always the result of human intervention.

Referring to Thursday’s press reports, the department said they refer to two dead turtles and one or two fish, which “may be independent incidents that coincided in the same area due to existing sea currents and waves.”

“From the available photographic material in the relative reports, showing a green turtle (Cheloniamydas), it appears it had been dead for a few days before the current/waves carried her to the beach, where she was found,” the department said.

It added that there was nothing to indicate that the turtle died of an explosion or shock wave and that an autopsy was necessary to determine the cause of death.

Furthermore, no military exercises with live ammunition had been carried out in the area over the last months, the department added.

Turtles die of natural causes, such as disease, parasites and predators in the natural marine environment, the department said.

“It is important to note that over the past years sea turtles in Cyprus have been increasing in population, which has led to a relative increase of recorded deaths.”

The department assures that it will continue efforts to secure the protection of all protected marine species, including treating injured and sick sea turtles.

One such green turtle, Emilia, is being treated since August 3 and “is expected to be ready to be released into its natural environment soon.”