Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment - Agriculture - DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES AND MARINE RESEARCH


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DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES AND MARINE RESEARCH

The relation of the Cypriots with the sea goes back to the earliest phases of civilization of the island, since its first inhabitants arrived from the sea. Evidence from the most recent excavations date these phases to the 9th millennium B.C. From hereon, the connections and keen interest of the Cypriots in the sea remain and are evident in the arts and crafts of the various periods (pottery, figurines, jewellery), as well as through a variety of material remains.

After Cyprus became an Independent Republic in 1960, the new State included fisheries development in the development policies of the governments. As a result the Department of Fisheries was founded in 1964 within the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources; its mandate was the development of fisheries and the rational management of marine resources in general.

Over the years, the Department developed activities in multidisciplinary fields, concerning the sustainable use of marine resources, the development and sound management of fisheries and aquaculture, the marine ecology, the protection of endangered species and habits, physical and chemical oceanography, and the prevention and combat of marine pollution. Furthermore, within the framework of the fisheries development, the Department promotes supporting programmes to the fishermen including, inter alia, the construction of fishing shelters. It is also responsible for the enforcement of the relative Legislation.

In the year 2000, the Department was renamed to Department of Fisheries and Marine Research (DFMR) because of the significant expansion of scientific research in its various aspects of activities to broader scopes and objectives.

The DFMR is actively participating in a variety of research programmes of the European Union and cooperates with other International Research Institutes.
The DFMR has its headquarters in Nicosia and three District Units located in the coastal towns of Paphos, Limassol, Larnaca and two subunits at Paralimni and Latsi. Moreover, there are in operation two research stations at Meneou and Kalopanayiotis, which specialize in research and development of marine and freshwater aquaculture respectively.

At the laboratories of DFMR work is carried out dealing with fish biology, benthic ecology, contaminant concentrations in marine organisms, seawater analysis, etc.
The field capabilities of the Department are strengthened with the acquisition of four well-equipped vessels: the 13m Gorgo, the 12m Alkyon, the 12m Aphitrite and the 8,5m F8. A stockpile of oil antipollution equipment valued of £2,000,000 is also in use.
The DFMR, with a current staff of 65, consists of six divisions: Fisheries Resources Division, Aquaculture Division, Fisheries Control Division, Marine Environment Division, Fishing Shelter Division and Oceanography Centre.

During 2004 the legislation concerning fisheries was amended with the aim of controlling fishing activities outside territorial waters.
A fishing monitoring centre has been established and the fisheries inspectorate of the Department was further strengthened in order to enforce the European Common Fisheries Policy.
The Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) through satellite has been installed and is in operation since the beginning of 2004. All fishing vessels over 15 m length are already equipped with the facility to locate their exact fishing position. This action is taken in order to control illegal fishing.

A fishing vessel register has been set up in the Department in which all fishing vessels have been registered in order to have a record of the fishing capacity of the Cyprus Fishing Fleet. These data is communicated to the Director General Fisheries of the European Union.

The intensive effort for harmonising the national legislation with that of EU continued and was completed before the Cyprus accession to the EU in May 1st, 2004. The main objective was to adapt the acquis communitaire and create the necessary infrastructure in order to be able to apply the European Common Fisheries policy.

The fisheries law and regulations was amended to regulate the various sectors of fisheries in Cyprus, aiming at achieving the sustainability of the fisheries sector.

The Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance of the EU, co-funds projects in the sectors of Aquaculture and Fisheries through National Programs that are within the Framework of the New Common Fisheries Policy.

During 2004 the schemes for implementing the measures of the Single Programming Document (SPD) for Fisheries 2004-2006 were prepared for approval by the Managing Authority. The implementation of the schemes will begin in 2005.

The SPD for Fisheries 2004-2006 aims at the sustainable development of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, increasing the competitiveness and improving the quality and hygiene of fisheries products.

To comply with the EU directive (91/493) an area for fish landing facilities must be established which would maintain high quality hygiene. The on-land facilities will include auctioning areas, offices, areas for fresh fish packing under hygienic conditions, refrigeration areas, ice factory, storage areas and other necessary supplementary structures. The project will also include the construction of port facilities (dock and unloading areas).

The above installations will not only be used by the local fishing vessels but also by vessels coming from other countries and will cover fish products which are for export as well as products for local consumption.

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