Meaningless announcements by the Fisheries Department for the Zygi Fishing shelter. PROBLEMATIC SITUATION, USEFUL TO NOBODY WASTE OF MONEY NO FUNCTIONALITY

For quite a while there has been an attempt to create a highly promising project in Cyprus, the long-awaited improvements to the fishing shelter at Zygi for fishing and tourist boats. The project would have been a major factor for the revitalisation and modernisation of the whole area with additions that the greater area lacks. Delays to the completion of the project have resulted in a problem with the docking of boats. A visitor to the fishing shelter would see boats that cannot be moved and boats that cannot be used for fishing.

The boat docking problem is an issue that has troubled the boat owners for a long time. After an investigation we asked for a response from the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research. One of their officers, Mr. Yiannis Manitaras, has written a letter to Cyprus Yachting, answering our questions about the docking problems at Zygi. It reads as follows:

“The fishing shelters mentioned are docking areas for professional fishermen. The boats that have been issued a professional fishing licence for the current year have the right to free docking. Boats that have been issued a professional coastal fishing licence C are excluded.

Some fishing shelters also have docking space for other boats. In these cases it is possible for other types of boat to be docked (as described below) providing that the purpose of making the fishing shelters are within the fishing shelter laws and that other related laws are followed.

For this matter and based on the current needs of the fishing sector and its related sectors, the necessary commitments of the following spaces have been prearranged.

1)      Fishing Boats Category A and B: as many berths as there are fishing licences in that area.

2)      Fishing Boats Category C: as many berths as there are licences of the current year but no more than 60.

3)      Multipurpose Fishing Boats: 10 berths.

4)      Trawlers: 20 berths.

5)      Emergency Area: 20 berths.

6)      Aquaculture Boats: 20 berths.

7)      Port and Marine Police: 10 berths.

8)      Department of Fisheries and Marine Research Boats: 15 berths.

9)      Coastal Boats: 20 berths.

10)   Diving Boats: 10 berths.

For the places that are reserved for future additional needs of the fishing sector, the following docking criteria apply to the fishing shelter at Zygi and are valid according to the priority order below:

1)      Boats that are docked at other fishing shelters and for decongestion purposes or any other problems must be removed.

2)      Company Boats that act supportively during sea researches and provide services for this sector.

3)      Wooden Boats - fishing type (with inboard engine) 4 to 12 metres in length, made before 2000 but no more than 25 years ago.

4)      Any boat, between 7.5 and 20 metres total length, excluding sailing boats and any boats that are used for sports. Priority to this category will be given to the longest boats.”

According to a survey that was conducted by Cyprus Yachting a lot of inaccuracies were noted. As regards fishing boats of Categories A and B where it was stated to us that the berths to be given would be as many as the permits of the fishermen in the area, the question arose as to the manner in which the number will be decided as the spaces are not unlimited. By which criteria would the applications be counted? In addition, the twenty berths for trawlers do not correspond to the actual number of the trawlers – there are just two. The same happens with the berths of the Port and Marine Police where ten berths are allocated – there are not ten of these boats on the entire island! And again, the berths for the vessels of the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research have no connection with the real number of vessels in existence. A question is raised for the usefulness of the twenty berths for Aquaculture Boats as these particular vessels are docked at the Archirodo and at Vasilikos where their supply posts are located.

      The most important issue that arises is the fact that many vessels that are docked at the Zygi fishing shelter not only do not possess a professional licence but do not possess any of the other aforesaid licences. According to our information some of the berths for professional vessels have been sold or are to be sold or rented to interested buyers. The Fisheries Department, in many verbal and written statements made by its representatives, notes that the number of real professional fishermen does not exceed 350 island-wide and soon the number of licences will decrease. On the other hand, 800 professional licences are issued based on loose criteria and the free berthing of their boats.

Taking all of the above into consideration, we are wondering what obligations the director of the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research may have and the intentions of the village mayor of the area concerning the issues that are slowly arising that relate to the insufficient control and the poor checks without research for the allocation of berths at Zygi fishing shelter.

By St. Ksiouri & A. Polikarpou