Removal of seaweed

With regard to the articles by Municipal Councillor Antonis Trakkidis published across all local media, which aim to discredit the Municipality of Geroskipou, we would like to set out the actual facts concerning the cleaning and removal of seaweed from the beach of the Municipality of Geroskipou.

Specifically, we would like to point out that the Municipality of Geroskipou, which has set itself the goal of creating the best beach in Paphos with quality services for bathers, cleans the seaweed from its beach every year.

For the cleaning of the beach for the years 2019 and 2020, a tender was issued covering the loading, transport and disposal of the seaweed over a two-year period. Under the terms of the tender, the seaweed was to be deposited at the landfill (XYTA), which is what happened in 2019. In 2020, the landfill informed all local authorities in Paphos that it had no space for depositing seaweed and that, as a result, they would have to find another location. Disingenuously, Mr Trakkidis states that the Municipality, instead of depositing the seaweed at the landfill, disposes of it in Acheleia, even though he is aware that this was not a choice the Municipality made. Criticism is legitimate, but misinformation is not.

To resolve the matter, the Mayor of Geroskipou had numerous contacts with the President of the landfill, the Mayor of Paphos Phaedon Phaedonos, in an effort to find a solution to the problem. The tourist season was approaching and our beaches had to be cleaned and made presentable. The Mayor immediately sent a letter to the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment requesting a meeting to discuss the matter, which took place on 25/02/2020 at the Ministry, in the presence of the competent Minister and officials from all the Ministry’s departments. The Municipality’s request for the temporary deposit of the seaweed at a specific horse-breeding site so that it could dry out was received favourably. Following an on-site inspection of three locations that were pointed out to him, an official of the Department of the Environment gave approval for the proposed site in the community of Acheleia. The Municipality of Geroskipou operates within the framework of legality and good governance, and not in the way that Mr Trakkidis disingenuously attempts to portray.

It is worth noting that the Municipal Council was kept fully informed of everything that was taking place; however, for his own reasons, Mr Trakkidis pretends to remember nothing and misleads the public. As regards the matter of the tender price, at its most recent session the Municipal Council was informed by the Municipal Engineer of the reduction in the price per load owing to the reduced distance of deposit compared with the distance to the landfill, which was duly implemented. Furthermore, owing to the lack of space for deposit, a large volume of seaweed has remained on the beach, and the Municipal Council has been informed of this. The minutes of the Municipal Council are on record and confirm the truth of these statements.

No one can cite a lack of information as a mitigating factor on behalf of Mr Trakkidis, because he is fully informed about this particular matter. Once again, Mr Trakkidis has chosen to follow the path of misinforming the residents.

When the seaweed was placed at the approved site, some quantities ended up in an adjacent area which, as Mr Trakkidis claims, is a park. However, this is a site which was a park but which has been abandoned for years, with wild vegetation and dead trees. The truth of this is confirmed by journalists who visited the site. The Municipality acted immediately and removed the seaweed from the area in question; however, for his own reasons, Mr Trakkidis continues to make accusations and to discredit his own Municipality.

One of the goals of the Municipal Council has been, and remains, the upgrading of our Municipality’s coastal area, something that is now taking shape, but unfortunately some are looking for reasons to create conflict and gain publicity.

These are difficult and demanding times, and our ultimate goal must be to provide high-quality services to our residents. Once again, I call on Mr Trakkidis to work together with all the members of the Municipal Council to strengthen our efforts to upgrade our area, and to put an end to petty politics and pre-election agendas.

In conclusion, it would be advisable for any residents who wish to form an accurate picture to visit the area in question.

Michalis Pavlidis

Mayor