Efforts are under way to recover two vehicles trapped in the Larnaca Salt Lake since last Wednesday, Larnaca Mayor Andreas Vyras told CNA on Tuesday.
Vyras said a local company equipped with heavy machinery will attempt the recovery today. “If today’s attempt is unsuccessful, the company will try again on Thursday,” he noted.
“Although the removal of the two cars appears to be difficult, I am optimistic that the operation will eventually be successful,” he added.
Asked how the vehicles ended up in the salt lake, Vyras replied that this “is the question all competent authorities are asking,” explaining that “one car initially entered the lake and the second drove in to pull it out, only to get stuck as well.”
Once recovered, the two cars will be transferred to the Larnaca Municipality’s storage facilities, and the owners will have to pay all related costs to reclaim them, the mayor said.
Recent rainfall has filled the Larnaca Salt Lake with water, making the removal particularly challenging.
The Game and Fauna Service has imposed an out-of-court fine of €2,000 for damaging activity within the protected habitat, under the Law on the Protection and Management of Wild Birds and Game.
In a statement, the Larnaca Municipality expressed “deep concern” over the illegal entry of vehicles into the salt lake- a protected wetland where two cars were found immobilised.
The Larnaca Salt Lake is “one of Cyprus’s most important natural treasures,” part of the Natura 2000 network and the Ramsar Convention, of exceptional importance for wildlife, particularly the migratory birds it hosts. It has been under strict protection since 1997 under national and EU legislation.
The municipality added that “any activity that could directly or indirectly affect the ecosystem, species or habitats constitutes an offence under Cyprus’s nature and wildlife protection laws.”
“Despite repeated warnings, awareness campaigns and signage in the area, some people continue to ignore the rules and engage in unacceptable behaviour that endangers the salt lake’s ecosystem,” the statement concluded.
Also read: British activists clash with Cypriot trappers over ambelopoulia
For more videos and updates, check out our YouTube channel
