| AREA |
9.254 km2 |
| LENGTH OF MEDITERRANEAN COASTLINE |
486 miles |
|
| PROTECTED AREA LEGISLATION |
| The fisheries regulations
1952-1989 were amended in 1989 to organize the protection
of important marine egg-laying beaches: the Lara Toxeftra
Beaches on the west coast of the Akamas Peninsula. A
1990 decree implementing the foreshore protection Law
prohibits the installation of hutments, parasols, recreational
facilities, etc on certain beaches where marine turtles
lay their eggs. |
|
| ESTABLISHED M/C PROTECTED AREAS |
1. Larnaka Lake Nature Reserve (W)
2. Limassol Lake Nature Reserve (W)
3. Lara Toxeftra (M/C) |
|
|
| GENERAL STATUS |
| The Lara-Toxeftra
Nature reserve is managed by the Fisheries Department
of the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources. |
|
| GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION |
| The Lara-Toxeftra
area is located in the south western part of the Akamas
peninsula, 15 kilometers west from the town of Paphos,
and between N 34o 59'30" and 34o 59'. The inland
extension is 90 meters from the mean sea level and the
seaward extension is to the 20 meter isobath |
|
| AREA |
| 650 hectares (100 terrestrial and
550 marine) |
|
| BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY ELEMENTS |
The area protected
is part of the Akamas peninsula, located at the western
tip of the island of Cyprus and presently studied in
order to create a National Park covering about 155 square
kilometers. the peninsula is a plateau, about 500 meters
high, which runs from north-west south-east and is covered
by riche and varied vegetation. There are many small
streams and rivers which cross the eastern and western
slopes forming many deep narrow valleys and some gorges.
the coastline is varied with both sandy beaches and
rocky coasts with, in some places, marine caves. The
reserve covers about 10 kilometers of coastline, including
the most important nesting beaches for marine turtles.
The beaches of the area are some of the few known nesting
areas of the remaining populations of the Green turtle
(Chelonia mydas) and the Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta
caretta). About 100 Green Turtles nest in the area.
Conservation efforts include monitoring and tagging
of turtles, protection of turtle nests in situ and a
hatchery programme. About 4,000 hatchlings were released
each year in the area from 1978 to 1987. This was increased
to about 6000-8000 per year since then. Ghost Crabs
(Ocypode cursor) inhabit the beaches in the area and
are also protected. The marine vegetation includes extensive
Posidonia oceanica meadows and Cymodocea nodosa as well
as many algae. |
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