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Footage from photographer and popular content creator Bora Markovic has drawn attention to a mounting litter problem in the Akamas Peninsula. In a video posted online, Markovic is seen walking through the scenic area, stepping over piles of trash scattered across trails and beaches.
“In the heart of Akamas, a place full of garbage. As far as you look, you’ll see trash,” Markovic wrote alongside the video. “It is truly a shame that a small minority is destroying the last pristine part of Cyprus.”
The region’s environmental challenges are not new. A report from July 2023 by Kathimerini described the ongoing problem of uncontrolled camping and visitors entering the park, both by land and sea. Photographs from Agapitos Beach, Amphitheatre Bay, and Manolis Beach, near Neo Chorio Akamas, showed campers leaving behind mounds of trash, putting strain on the protected National Forest Park.
Authorities say their powers are limited. The Department of Forests noted that some of the most affected sites are privately owned, leaving the agency responsible only for monitoring fire safety until the park’s full regulations are enforced. Visitors to the marine Blue Lagoon have also flagged safety concerns due to the absence of buoys.
Environmental experts and insiders suggest that fully implementing the park’s management rules could help curb the problem. Proposed measures include regulated entrance fees based on vehicle type and other restrictions aimed at controlling visitor behavior and protecting the fragile ecosystem.
With information from 24news.
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