Lara–Toxeftra CARE: final consultation workshop on 16 September

Update: Following the consultation workshop on 16 September 2026, the draft Lara–Toxeftra CARE Management Plan and workshop presentations are now available on MER’s public review page. Comments should be submitted by 15 October 2026 and will be considered before the plan is finalised.

As the Lara–Toxeftra CARE project approaches completion, its final consultation workshop brought stakeholders together to review the draft management plan.

Marine & Environmental Research (MER) Lab, in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research (DFMR), held the final consultation workshop on 16 September 2026 at the Akamas Municipality Events Hall in Peyia.

The Lara–Toxeftra Climate-Adaptive and REsponsive (CARE) project supports the development of a comprehensive management plan for the Lara–Toxeftra Marine Protected Area. The area includes nesting beaches for loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) and green turtles (Chelonia mydas), alongside other protected marine habitats.

The project combines scientific evidence, stakeholder participation and local knowledge to address human pressures and climate-related risks. Its scope includes assessment of coastal erosion, monitoring approaches using drones, and collaboration with authorities, local communities and marine users to inform practical management priorities.

This work contributes to MER’s wider marine protected area management and conservation activities, connecting research and monitoring with decisions about the protection of coastal and marine ecosystems.

The workshop presented the main project results and the draft management plan. Participants discussed management objectives and priorities, sharing their knowledge, views and suggestions to help refine the plan before it is finalised. It followed the project’s earlier call for stakeholder input in June 2025.

The consultation concerns management objectives, priorities and proposed measures within the area’s existing legal and institutional framework. That framework is not subject to this consultation and will not be amended through the project.

Workshop details

• Date and time: Wednesday, 16 September 2026, 16:00–18:30.
• Venue: Akamas Municipality Events Hall, Πλατεία Βρύσης των Πεγειώτισσων, 8560 Peyia.
• Language: Greek.

Download the invitation (PDF, Greek)

For further information, contact info@merresearch.com.

The project is supported by MedPAN Small Projects and the Cyprus Environment Foundation, with contributions from MER and DFMR.