The creation of a Mediterranean Monk Seal Care Center is being planned at the Cyprus Marine Aquaculture Research Center (CyMARC) in Meneou, a village in Larnaka district, according to a press release issued by the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research on the occasion of World Seal Day, March 22nd.
The press release noted that the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment is working diligently, through the National Mediterranean Monk Seal Monitoring Team, to protect and restore the population of this species in Cyprus.
It is also noted that the Department is participating as a collaborating body in the new research program “LIFE ADAPTS” (LIFE23-NAT-IT-LIFE ADAPTS), which started on January 1, 2025, with a five-year duration and involves partners from Cyprus, Greece, and Italy. The primary goal of the project is to determine the most likely future priorities for the protection and conservation of three priority species in the European Union: the sea turtles Caretta caretta and Chelonia mydas, and the Mediterranean Monk Seal Monachus monachus.
As part of this project, the creation of the Mediterranean Monk Seal Care Center at CyMARC is planned.
“On World Seal Day, the work of the Monitoring Team in Cyprus continues to enrich both our knowledge about the species, its presence on our island, and its future prospects. We can all participate in the protection and conservation of its population in our waters”, the press release concluded.
Also read: The seal population in Cyprus is recovering
Source: CNA
