Around €3 million in grants have been provided to fishers since 2023 through the Sea, Fisheries and Aquaculture Programme, Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Minister Maria Panayiotou said on Saturday.
Speaking at the 11th Fish Festival of Polis Chrysochous Municipality, Panayiotou said 71 fishing vessels had been modernised to improve working conditions and safety, while, for the first time, small-scale coastal fishers are receiving grants covering 100% of eligible costs, without any private contribution.
“This is a substantial intervention, giving those who need it most a real opportunity to invest in their profession,” she said, according to a ministry announcement.
Panayiotou said support for fishers and coastal communities forms part of the government’s wider effort to revitalise the primary sector, with emphasis on people working daily, often in difficult conditions, to keep professions, communities and local economies alive.
She added that fishers’ incomes are being supported through targeted measures, including an increase in compensation for pufferfish from €3 per kilo to €4.73. A total of 82 fishers are benefiting through 11 collective groups.
Annual support is also being introduced for damage caused to catches by dolphins, with around 300 fishers expected to benefit.
The minister said the same programme supports investments in aquaculture, processing and the marketing of fishery products, with an estimated budget of around €3 million.
Projects worth about €45 million have also been included for the control of fishing activities, data collection, improvement of the marine environment and better knowledge of the sea.
Panayiotou said support for fishing communities is a key policy objective, describing Polis Chrysochous as “a living fishing community”.
Through Local Fisheries Action Groups, projects are being implemented with local authorities as beneficiaries, including the festival itself, as well as initiatives highlighting the fishing identity of coastal areas.
She referred to the Museum of the Sea and Culture in Polis Chrysochous, inaugurated last September, saying it already contributes to promoting the area and strengthening both its fishing and environmental character.
The minister said the measures are part of a broader Blue Growth strategy linking fisheries with tourism, the local economy and protection of the marine environment.
She also referred to waste management, particularly fishing gear which can end up in the sea if not properly handled.
Panayiotou said the ministry is promoting the approval by the House of Representatives of regulations on the management of plastic fishing gear waste, expected within 2026.
The regulations will introduce producer responsibility, creating an organised collection and management system for fishing gear waste.
As part of the LIFE IP CYzero WASTE project, collection equipment for fishing gear will be installed in 2026 at six fishing shelters across Cyprus, including Polis Chrysochous. Special bins will be placed at each shelter for different types of fishing gear.
Panayiotou also said support for Polis Chrysochous extends beyond fisheries and the environment, referring to infrastructure projects in the area.
She said a rapid filtration plant with a minimum capacity of 1,500 cubic metres per day is moving forward in Neo Chorio. Construction is expected to begin in the second half of the year, with completion planned for early 2027, at a cost of €1.25 million.
The central sewerage system for Polis Chrysochous is also being planned, with work expected to begin towards the end of the year and take around three years to complete.
Panayiotou also referred to flood protection planning for the Ayios Ioannis river, aimed at protecting properties and infrastructure.
In the medium term, she said plans are progressing to strengthen the area’s water security, including the possible creation of a permanent desalination unit in Polis Chrysochous, currently under study, as well as the upgrading of the Chrysochous irrigation network.
“These are interventions that form part of an overall plan for a more resilient and sustainable countryside,” she said.
Source: CNA