An old war ship, “Kyrenia”, donated by the Ministry of Defence was scuttled on Saturday off the coast of Ayia Napa resort, in Pernera, to form a new artificial reef. The project is co-funded by the EU and the Republic of Cyprus.
In statements on the sidelines of the event, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Nicos Kouyialis said the scuttling of the vessel took place in the context of the government’s blue growth policy, to form an artificial reef. He said that the ministry`s goal is to enrich marine life in the area.
He noted that this is the fifth artificial reef being created in Cyprus, following the scuttling of vessels in Paralimni, Paphos and Limassol.
“Our goal is to enrich the tourist product, to give the opportunity to the residents of coastal areas to engage in other marine activities, to increase their income, and also to boost development in the coastal areas of Cyprus,” he added.
Ayia Napa Mayor Yiannis Karoussos said that it is estimated that this artificial reef in Ayia Napa, in conjunction with another one scuttled in Protaras, will bring more than 20,000 tourists in the area during the next years, and will generate an income of approximately 30 million euro from tourism. Therefore, this is a worthy investment which must continue, ” he noted.
