Sea turtles make big comeback on sandy beaches at 2 British military bases in Cyprus

NICOSIA, Cyprus -- Protected green and loggerhead turtles are making a big comeback on the beaches of two British military bases in Cyprus, with the number of nests surpassing last year’s record count by nearly 25%, environmentalists said Tuesday.

There were 382 sea turtle nests recorded this year on all sandy beaches inside the bases — 100 more than last year’s count.

Bases Environmental and Police Officer Alexia Perdiou said a decadeslong commitment by base authorities to safeguard nests is paying off, given that an average of only 30 turtle nests were discovered each year on the base beaches between 1994 and 2011.

The turnaround is remarkable given that only one in 1,000 turtle hatchlings makes it to adulthood.

“The steep increase in turtle nests has been the result of a consistent, systematic ‘hands-off’ approach, together with enforcement efforts to minimize illegal, damaging activities on nesting beaches,” Perdiou said.

Contributing to the nest increase, she said, is the fact that most sandy beaches inside the bases are free from development, while daily patrols by volunteers ensure that aluminum cages set atop the nests remain in place to protect the turtles from predators like foxes and dogs.

Human activity on the beaches, including the driving of vehicles, parties with barbeques or powerful lighting is punishable by up to 17,000 euros ($19,000) in fines or three years in prison.

Perdiou said despite the success, authorities won’t let up in their conservation efforts in partnerships with the Cypriot government, local authorities and volunteers.

Britain retained two military bases along Cyprus’ southern coast after the east Mediterranean island gained independence from colonial rule in 1960. They are home to one of the Royal Air Force's busiest and most complex airfields, and host important communications equipment.

Base authorities said it’s likely that investments of over 1 billion pounds ($1.3 billion) will be made in the bases over the next decade.