Day: August 10, 2022

More than 2 thousand sea turtle nests were located in Cyprus in 2021, Simos Demetropoulos, Biologist-Environmentalist told CNA.

Demetropoulos, together with Italian native Angela Mastrogiacomo are experts of the Mediterranean Turtle Research and Conservation Society and together with other members of the association and the technical support of Polis Chrysochou youth association are working for the protection of turtles.

Speaking to CN? about the Caretta-Caretta turtles which are species endangered with extinction, Demetropoulos said he has been working for the protection of the turtles in the last 40 years and recently was joined by a scientific programme of the protection of the turtles.

Together with his Italian colleague, they are carrying out studies related to the programme, visiting the west shores of Akama, from Toxeftra to Lara and also Polis Chrysochous to the north which are the main areas, however, they also visit other parts of Cyprus.

The programme is assisted by the Fisheries Department. Special cages for the protection of the nests are situated in areas to prevent humans from interacting with the turtles and also protect the turtles from foxes.

Last year, he added, more than 2 thousand nests belonging to Chelonia mydas and caretta caretta turtles were located at the Polis Chrysochous Bay and the west coast. In response to a question about the area of preference of the Green Turtle, he said that it mainly gives birth in the western region of Akamas and not in the other areas.

He urged the public to realise that turtles are a significant species and their protection results to the protection of more species and habitats both inside and outside the sea that are associated with the turtle. At the same time, he said he appreciates the fact that people want to see the turtles however, people must realise that the “turtles do not want to see us. They need their peace while people’s curiosity unwittingly causes damage”.

Demetropoulos said their survival depends on peaceful surroundings and therefore if people want to protect them, they need to respect their needs.

On his part, Andreas Pistentis, former district officer of the Fisheries Department, who is still involved with the protection of turtles, told CN? that the programme began in 1976. After locating the beaches which the turtles prefer, in 1978 the first station was set up at Lara area.

He said both Chelonia mydas and caretta caretta turtles visit this particular area. The findings were registered daily while a meteorological station was also set up with thermometers monitoring weather temperatures, the winds and waves.

Pistentis urged the pubic to protect the turtles and not to remain there overnight with bonfires, umbrellas and beds because apart from destroying the nests, the sand’s temperature is altered thus affecting the eggs.

The Youth Association of Polis Chrysochous, meanwhile, described the turtles a blessing for the region.

Marinos Karamanis, Spokesman for the association told CNA that the involvement of young people in the programme for the protection and maintaining sea turtles in Cyprus is very significant.

There are turtles in Lara, between Agia Marina and the Polis Chrysochous camping and close to Anassa Hotel in Paphos. Local associations, he added, greatly protect the turtles, adding that this contributes to benefitting the local communities because those who specialise in the protection of turtles visit the area to gain experience.

Koula Michael, director of the Terra Cypria-The Cyprus Conservation Foundation which operates The Cyprus Environmental Studies Centre, said the fact that these turtles come to hatch in Cyprus is a blessing itself.

She referred to the memorandum of cooperation signed with the Fisheries Department to protect the Cyprus sea turtles, allowing the foundation to have an active role in the protection and maintaining sea turtles on the island by involving, managing and training volunteers and academic foundations.

This, she added, will be done by bringing volunteers from overseas and also Cyprus to locate nests and any irregularities in the area, to set up volunteer points informing on the relevant legislation and provide guidelines and also organise educational programmes for children that visit the areas.

“With our involvement and with the cooperation of the team which monitors the species in Cyprus, as well as the guidance of the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research, we look forward to strengthening actions for raising awareness, preserving and protecting the sea turtles on the island, benefiting local communities and to enrich our knowledge about this very important species of animal”, she added.

We can all work together to protect and promote the Cyprus sea turtles and this is a promise”, she noted.

“We want to promote turtle tourism the right way”, said Michael, and this can only be done with the involvement and cooperation of all associations working together.

The turtle conservation programme is also supported by AKTI Project and Research Centre, a non-governmental, non-profit organisation based in Nicosia. According to Anna Tselepos, the centre supports initiatives regarding the protection of turtles through various interventions and actions.

She said there is an increase in nesting for both turtles and this is due to the protection measures already taken.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The European Commission will not prolong the enhanced surveillance of Greece once it expires on 20 August. Following exchanges with the Greek authorities, including at the Eurogroup meeting of 16 June, the Commission acknowledges that Greece has delivered on the bulk of the policy commitments made to the Eurogroup upon its exit from the economic adjustment programme in June 2018, and that it has achieved effective reform implementation, even under the challenging circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic and, more recently, by Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine.

The Commission also notes that, as a result of Greece’s efforts, the resilience of the Greek economy has substantially improved and the risks of spill-over effects on the Euro area economy have diminished significantly. Hence, maintaining Greece under enhanced surveillance is no longer justified. The monitoring of the country’s economic, fiscal and financial situation will continue in the context of the post-programme surveillance (PPS) and the European Semester. The monitoring of the outstanding reform commitments will be undertaken in the context of the first PPS report to be issued in November 2022, which could serve as a basis for a Eurogroup decision on the final tranche of debt relief measures agreed in June 2018. Major reforms and investments are also foreseen in the Greek recovery and resilience plan.

The Commission welcomes Greece’s achievements and its commitment to keep on carrying out reforms beyond the end of enhanced surveillance. Executive Vice-President for an Economy that Works for People, Valdis Dombrovskis, and Commissioner for the Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, have already informed the Greek authorities. Their letter to Greek Finance Minister Christos Staikouras, and his reply, have been published online.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The joint Search and Rescue exercise “SALAMIS 04/22” was carried out between Cyprus and Greece on Wednesday.

The exercise was conducted within the Search and Rescue region of the Republic of Cyprus with the participation of the Hellenic Ship “YDRA”, a helicopter of the 460th Search and Rescue Squadron of the National Guard, as well as a specialised nurse of the Ambulance Service, a press release by the Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC).

It is added that the exercise is part of the existing bilateral agreement between Cyprus and Greece and is the fourth one held in 2022. The exercise was coordinated by JRCC Larnaca, in cooperation with the Hellenic Navy General Staff.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Commissioner for State Aid Control Stella Michaelidou has welcomed the fact that her Office has taken the lead at European level and has been an example for other member states in view of the implementation of the Central State Aid and De Minimis Registry.

In a press release it is noted that based on available data until today, Cyprus, together with Lithuania and Spain, are the only countries that have implemented a Central State Aid and De Minimis Registry.

It says that the team of the University of Groningen that undertook the study on behalf of the Dutch Government, has informed that the European Commission, after having evaluated the benefits of the implementation of the system, is considering its compulsory implementation by all EU member states.

The press release says that Cyprus is considered a case study with very positive comments from the Netherlands for the eventual implementation of the system.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Hy Stor Energy LP (Hy Stor Energy), a company pioneering renewably produced green hydrogen and energy storage at scale in Mississippi, announced today it has partnered with the Green Hydrogen Organisation (GH2) to become the first pledge member in North America to advocate for the GH2 Green Hydrogen Standard across the continent and worldwide. By committing to this standard, which is the first of its kind globally, Hy Stor Energy will produce hydrogen with 100% or near 100% renewable energy with close to zero greenhouse gas emissions for its highly anticipated Mississippi Clean Hydrogen Hub and all future projects.

“The GH2 Standard provides certainty and transparency to investors and other stakeholders that green hydrogen is exactly that: hydrogen made with renewable electricity which conforms to the highest standards on emissions, ESG and the sustainable development goals,” said Malcolm Turnbull, chairman of GH2. “We are thrilled that Hy Stor Energy has pledged to advocate our standard across North America and has committed to ensuring its projects meet the standard.”

The goal of establishing a standard for green hydrogen production is to help rapidly decarbonize hard to abate sectors such as steel, cement, maritime shipping, and aviation to meet urgent net zero and decarbonization goals. Green hydrogen projects that meet the GH2 Standard will be licensed to use the label “GH2 Green Hydrogen” and will be eligible to obtain and trade GH2 certificates of origin for green hydrogen and derivatives such as green ammonia. Since most projects are still in the early design phase, like Hy Stor Energy’s Mississippi Clean Hydrogen Hub, the project will be independently evaluated in accordance with standard to identify any issues or concerns that might constitute a barrier to accreditation.

“The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is a paradigm shifting victory for energy innovation in this country. As the energy revolution continues to pick up pace, GSREIA commends Hy Stor Energy and the Green Hydrogen Organization for developing a gold star standard for green hydrogen. We at GSREIA will accept and uphold the definition and we urge its adoption in our Gulf Region and beyond,” said Stephen Wright, executive director of the Gulf States Renewable Energy Industry Association.

In addition to this announcement, Hy Stor Energy is also supporting the Youth for Green Hydrogen, an inclusive movement of young people working towards accelerating climate solutions and scale green hydrogen, to establish the group’s first North America Chapter. Together with Youth for Green Hydrogen and other organizations like universities and national labs, Hy Stor Energy is developing a positive, action-based path forward with educational and advocacy outcomes.

“We welcome our partnership with Hy Stor Energy to strengthen youth participation and partnerships in creating Green Hydrogen youth-led innovation and climate solutions in North America and around the world,” said co-founder of Youth For Green Hydrogen, Sailesh Singal.

While the hydrogen industry is growing in the U.S. because of the development of The Department of Energy’s H2Hub program and hydrogen tax credit, many companies in the U.S. are promoting the use of blue hydrogen rather than green and renewable hydrogen. To be fully committed to lowering harmful emissions, it’s critical that the hydrogen industry utilize the gold standard of production and not be contributing to additional carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere. This long-term investment in green hydrogen infrastructure has the added benefit of being utilized for decades – helping to reduce the risk of having stranded energy assets in the future. Hy Stor Energy is focused on the urgent need to commercialize, deploy, and scale green hydrogen as it is critical to meet decarbonization goals and mitigate climate change.

“Now that the Senate has passed the IRA, the largest climate investment legislation in U.S. history, there is no time to waste on enabling green hydrogen production and storage to better ensure clean, air, clean water, and public health in our communities for now and generations to come,” said Laura L. Luce, CEO of Hy Stor Energy. “Not only will this legislation accelerate clean energy manufacturing at pace and scale, but there is also monumental and impactful provisions and tax credits to boost the renewable hydrogen industry and drive its adoption across the country. At Hy Stor Energy, we are ready to scale green hydrogen in North America and be a leader in setting the gold standard for zero-carbon, zero-methane hydrogen. And by enabling the youth of the world to have a leading voice in this conversation, we will ensure a healthy framework for the green hydrogen economy including education, inspiration, support, and mentorship as well as further advocacy for diversity in STEM.”

Earlier this year, the Hy Stor Energy team attended the first GH2 Global Assembly in Barcelona where the company signed both the GH2 Green Hydrogen Standard and the Youth for Green Hydrogen Declaration. During this conference, Hy Stor chief operation officer, Claire Behar participated in a fireside chat with Mr. Turnbull where the two discussed the future of the green hydrogen industry.

About Hy Stor Energy

Hy Stor Energy is facilitating the transition to a fossil-free energy environment by developing and advancing renewable hydrogen at scale through the development, commercialization, and operation of renewable hydrogen hub projects. The company defines green hydrogen as only that which has produced from renewables — as set forth by the Green Hydrogen Organisation. Large, fully integrated projects produce, store, and deliver 100% carbon-free, energy, providing customers with safe and reliable renewable energy on-demand. Developed as part of an integrated hub, these projects couple on-site renewable hydrogen production with integrated long-duration storage and distribution – using scale to reduce costs. Hy Stor Energy, led by energy storage industry and hydrogen technology veteran Laura L. Luce, has an innovative team with deep expertise and is positioned as a leader in the renewable hydrogen revolution.

About the Green Hydrogen Organisation (GH2)

The mission of the Green Hydrogen Organisation (GH2) is to dramatically accelerate the production and utilisation of green hydrogen across a range of sectors globally. It will push to rapidly decarbonise industries like steel, cement, fertilisers, shipping, and aviation that have so far made limited progress reducing their emissions. We bring together government, industry, and civil society to enable the rapid uptake of green hydrogen globally.

About Youth for Green Hydrogen

Youth for Green Hydrogen is a network of passionate young women and men working in the Green Hydrogen sector. Our vision is to increase the participation and amplify the leadership of young people working in Green Hydrogen by keeping Intergenerational partnerships at the centre of our approach.

Youth For Green Hydrogen is an inclusive movement of young people working towards creating solutions to end climate crisis and we firmly believe it is only through the green technology that the world can reduce the dependency on its existing consumption of fossil fuels. The usage of green technology while would be reached incrementally but the emergency of climate crisis calls every young person to take action in making our societies based on renewable energy sources, especially Green Hydrogen.

The group has been instrumental in developing the worlds’ first Youth Declaration on Green Hydrogen, which had been adopted by the world leaders in the GH2 Assembly in Barcelona and has mobilized young people from across 64 countries in accelerating climate solutions through Green Hydrogen technology.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

This year’s Perseids meteor shower will share the August sky with the full moon, which will reduce the number of visible meteors due to its brightness.

A press release by the Cyprus Space Exploration Organisation notes that when Perseids peak there will be a full moon in the sky on August 11 that will affect visibility, as the moon’s brightness will only allow the brightest Perseids to be observed.

This means, CSEO adds, that instead of the expected 100 or so meteors per hour, their number will drop significantly, to around 25-50 per hour.

On the occasion of the two astronomical phenomena on August 11, the Cyprus Space Exploration Organisation, in collaboration with Riverland Bio Farm, is organising a night excursion to the village of Kampia to observe the Perseids, as well as the moon with a telescope.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Limassol Assize Court has sentenced a 33 year-old man to two years in prison after being found guilty for setting fires near a state forest.

In a press release, the Court says that in June 2022 the man set fire in three different sites by using a lighter, in the area of the community of Dieronas, at a distance of 1,240 meters from the edges of the state forest.

As a result, it notes, a total area of 570 sq.m. with pines and bushes was burnt to ashes.

In its decision the Court pointed out that the crime carries up to a 10 years prison sentence or a fine of up to 50,000 and spoke of the need to have strict sentences which would act as a deterrent in order to protect the safety of citizens and their property but also the natural environment which plays a key role in the quality of life and health of people.

Furthermore, when he was spotted by a policeman and a civilian the 33 year old man pointed knives towards them and he was sentenced by the same Court to two months in prison for carrying a weapon.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

New residence permits issued in the European Union, as well as in Cyprus, to non-EU citizens in 2021 reached pre-pandemic levels, according to data on first residence permits published by Eurostat, the statistics office of the EU.

In 2021, 2,952,300 first residence permits (i.e. permits issued to a person for the first time) were issued in the EU to non-EU citizens. The number increased by 31% (or 693,700) compared with 2020, reaching the pre-pandemic level observed in 2019 (2,955,300).

A total of 22,190 new residence permits were issued in Cyprus in 2021. Most of these were issued to citizens of Russia (3,432), Syria (2,929), India (2,744), Nepal (2,628), the Philippines (1,784), Sri Lanka (1,496) and Ukraine (1,133).

In 2020, a total of 16,910 new permits were issued in Cyprus (mainly for citizens of India, Russia, Nepal, Syria, the Philippines and Sri Lanka). In 2019, a total of 23,325 permits were issued (mainly for citizens of India, Russia, Nepal, Syria, the Philippines and Sri Lanka).

A total of 9,800 new residence permits in Cyprus in 2021 were issued for employment reasons (mainly to citizens of Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and India), 6,085 for other reasons, including international protection (mainly to citizens of Syria and Russia), 3,281 for education-related reasons (mainly to citizens of India, Nepal and Bangladesh) and 3,024 for family reasons (mainly to citizens of Russia and Ukraine).

Most first residence permits issued in Poland

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Employment reasons accounted for 45% of all first residence permits issued in 2021, with 1.3 million permits. This represents an increase of 47% (429,100 persons) compared with 2020. It is also the highest number of permits issued for employment reasons since the beginning of the time series.

Family reasons accounted for 24%, education reasons for 12%, while other reasons, including international protection, accounted for 19%.

Besides the increase in the number of residence permits issued for employment-related reasons, the other main reasons recorded also an increase in 2021 compared with 2020: 42% for education-related reasons ( an increase of 105.000 persons), 14% for family reasons (88.600 increase) and 15% for other reasons, including international protection (71.000 increase).

In 2021, Poland issued a third of all first residence permits granted in the EU to non-EU citizens (967,300, or 33% of total permits issued in the EU), followed by Spain (371,800, or 13%) and France (285,200, or 10%).

The largest relative increase in the total number of permits issued in 2021 when compared with 2020 was an increase of 159% recorded in Italy (from 105,700 in 2020 to 274,100 in 2021). Italy was followed by Finland (132% increase, from 24,800 to 57,300) and Poland (62% increase, from 598,000 to 967,300).

The only decreases in the total number of permits issued in 2021 when compared with 2020 were recorded in Germany (a 41% decrease from 312,700 in 2020 to 185,200 in 2021), Lithuania (7% decrease from 22,500 to 21,000) and Croatia (4% decrease from 35,100 to 33,600).

Reason for residence permits per country

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Poland topped the list of employment-related first residence permits, with 790,100 permits issued in 2021, making up 27% of all first permits issued in the EU, and was also the top country in the EU issuing residence permits for other reasons, with 120,500 permits (4%) issued in 2021.

France issued the most education-related permits (90,600 permits, or 3%).

The EU countries with the highest number of permits issued for family reasons in 2021 were Spain (159,200, or 5%), Italy (120,500, or 4%) and France (93,300, or 3%).

Most new residence permits for Ukrainians

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A total of 875,800 Ukrainians received first residence permits in the EU countries in 2021, making them the largest citizenship group among all recipients (of which 83% were issued by Poland).

Citizens of Morocco (150,100 permits, of which 50% were issued in Spain) and Belarus (149,000, of which 88% were issued in Poland) followed. Citizens of these countries accounted for 40% of all first residence permits issued in 2021.

The top 10 citizenships granted permits in the EU accounted for 57% of all first residence permits issued in 2021: these were the citizenships of Ukraine, Morocco, Belarus, India, Russia, Brazil, Turkey, China, Syria and the USA.

Employment was the main reason for permits issued in 2021 to Ukrainians (88% of all first residence permits), Belarusians (47%), Indians (41%) and Russians (35%).

Family was the prevailing reason for permits granted to Moroccans (59%), Brazilians (41%) and Turks (33%).

Permits for education were primarily issued to Chinese citizens, including citizens of Hong Kong (43%), and citizens of the United States (32%).

Other reasons, which include the granting of international protection, were predominant for Syrian citizens (74%).

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The decline in passengers in air transport as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic had a pronounced effect on younger workers due to staff reductions by airlines and associated enterprises, according to data released by Eurostat, the statistical service of the European Union.

In the first quarter of 2022, 325,600 people were employed in the air transport sector in the EU. This is the lowest number recorded in 14 years.

This decrease can be attributed to workers between the ages of 15 and 39 (from 204,400 in Q1 2008, to 121,400 in Q1 2022, a reduction of 83,000 persons).

At the same time, there was a smaller increase in workers between 40 and 64 years old (from 170,500 to 204,200, an increase of 33,700 workers).

The pattern was similar when comparing the pre-pandemic first quarter of 2019 with the first quarter of 2022. While there was a large decrease in workers aged between 15 and 39 (from 184,900 to 121,400, a decrease of 63,500), there was a far smaller decrease in workers between the ages of 40 and 64 (from 225,500 to 204,200, a decrease of 21,300).

Men made up 58% of the work force in the first quarter of 2022. This same balance was also recorded in the first quarter of 2008. The share of men in air transport was rather stable over time.

However, while total employment in air transport in the EU decreased for both men and women during the pandemic, men were the first impacted in the second quarter of 2020, leading to a share of men equal to 53% in the second quarter of 2020. Then, in the third and fourth quarters of 2020, women were the most affected by the pandemic.

Over the whole period between the first quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of 2022, men made up 60% of the decrease (a decrease 33,800 for women compared with a decrease of 50,900 for men).

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The first monkeypox case detected in Cyprus is in self-isolation at home, while the other two, detected a few days later, are in isolation at Eden, an infrastructure with which the state cooperates, Communications Advisor to the Minister of Health, Konstantinos Athanasiou, told CNA on Wednesday.

He noted that all three will be discharged once their rash has fully healed.

The first case concerns a Cypriot man, while the other two concern a sailor and a tourist.

Athanasiou said that, to-date, three people have been vaccinated against the monkeypox virus. He added that staff working in hospitals were informed about the vaccine so that health professionals who will treat suspected or confirmed cases, can express interest in getting inoculated.

He also noted that actions are being taken through the European mechanism to accelerate the delivery to Cyprus of the approved drug tecovirimat.

Athanasiou also urged members of the public to immediately contact their GP in case they develop any symptoms linked with the monkeypox virus, in order to prevent any spread of the virus.

Source: Cyprus News Agency