 | Information for the Public - Locating a Dead or Injured Sea Turtle
In the event of sighting a dead or injured sea turtle, the public can contact the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research (DFMR) during public office hours on the landlines shown below. Please note that outside of office hours, the public can contact the following service telephones:
District | Landlines
(07:30 -15:00) | Service Telephones
(16:00 – 20:00 Daily)
(06:00–20:00 Saturday/Sunday) |
| Nicosia | 22 807 853 | Ν/Α |
| Larnaca | 24 304 294 / 24 422 888 | 99 48 96 45 |
| Famagusta | 23 834 172 | 99 48 96 43 |
| Limassol | 25 306 800 / 25 306 804 | 99 48 96 51 |
| Paphos | 26 821 680 | 99 48 96 42 |
Injured Sea Turtles:
Injured sea turtles are transported by DFMR staff or authorised entities for treatment to the Marine Turtle Rescue Center that operates at the Cyprus Marine Aquaculture Research Center (CyMARC) of the DFMR in Meneou.
Dead Sea Turtles:
The local authorities (Municipalities / Communities) have the responsibility for collection / burial / incineration of dead sea turtles. They are informed either by the DFMR or directly by citizens or other agencies that locate the dead sea turtle.
Collection of information:
The public can send data / information about the sea turtles it detects (such as shell dimensions, sea turtle photo, location of sighting, etc.), so that it can be recorded in the database of the DFMR for the monitoring of the population of protected species. Such information may be sent by e-mail (marineenvironment@dfmr.moa.gov.cy / mmarcou@dfmr.moa.gov.cy ), via the Cy-FIS online application ( https://dfmrapp.com.cy ), or via Messenger (Τμήμα Αλιείας και Θαλασσίων Ερευνών - Cyprus DFMR).
It is noted that sea turtles in Cyprus have been protected since 1971 by the Basic Fisheries Law Cap. 135 and subsequent amendments of 1961 to 2019, and Fisheries Regulations of 1990 to 2019 (Reg. No. 273/90). In addition, sea turtles are included in Annex II of the Protocol concerning Specially Protected Areas and the Biodiversity of the Mediterranean of the Barcelona Convention, which Cyprus ratified with Law no. 20 (III) / 2001. Sea turtles are considered a priority species and are also protected by the European Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), which was transposed into national law in 2003 by the Law on Nature and Wildlife Protection and Management No. 153 (I)/2003. According to the above legislations, it is prohibited among other, to kill, to stalk, to intentionally harass these species, as well as to capture, purchase or sell and possess sea turtles or any attempt to do so.
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