Title:
Siting study and Environmental Impact Assessment for creating facilities (port and inland) to serve the fish farmers of Vasiliko area (Tender #: 06/2012, DFMR)
Duration:
ca 9 months (October 2012 – June 2013)
Funded by:
Department of Fisheries and Marine Research (European Fisheries Fund and the Republic of Cyprus)
Project partners:
Nicolaides & Associates Ltd, Cyprus
National Technical University of Athens, Greece
Project Description:
In September of 2012, the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research of the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment assigned Nicolaides & Associates Ltd (proposed team included expert researchers from MER and the National Technical University of Athens) to conduct a siting study and EIA for creating facilities (port and inland) to serve the fish farmers of the Vasiliko area. MER contributed as the marine ecologist expert in this study group.
MER collected and analysed data from bibliographic sources and field surveys at or near the proposed coastal area. MER’s report included detailed description of the study area, results of bibliographic review (biological, physico-chemical variables), sediment analysis, habitat mapping, identification of marine flora and fauna, assessments of ecological status, description of coastal anthropogenic activities, identification and evaluation of potential sources of pollution in the marine environment, impact assessments to the marine environment by the proposed project, conclusions and recommendations on mitigation approaches.
MER submitted the report in 2012 but completed their obligations with this study in 2014, after presenting the marine specialized sections of the EIA to the environmental committee.
