Dead Turtle found on Alagadi Beach

Geomin


Joined: 25/01/2011
Posts: 76

Message Posted:
09/05/2011 10:33

At Alagadi beach yesterday we found a dead turtle. It had got caught up in some discarded rubbish and appeared to have drowned. It was only a young one (about the size of a dinner plate) and the suffering which it must have endured as it struggled to get free doesn't bear thinking about. I tried to contact the Goatshed but I don't think the Turtle project volunteers have arrived yet. If anyone is in touch with them, please let them know. If you use the beach, please take your rubbish home or put it in the bins provided. If you spend time up there please take the time to pick up a bagful of rubbish and remove it - there is no charge for using the beach so this is the least we can do to preserve its beauty and keep the wildlife safe. The beach clean ups are great but we can ALL do our bit. Seeing this sad sight really brought home the importance of keeping the beaches clean. The turtles are part of North Cyprus and this turtle's death was extremely sad and totally unnecessary

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
09/05/2011 11:34

I have notified Robin Snape, Project Leader who will go take a look... can you be more specific re-location... i.e. Alagadi 1, 2 or 3 and approximate position on the beach.

Can anybody who discovers a dead turtle please send an email to:- info@kuskor.org ASAP as there is a research project under way to determine cause of death and record numbers. The sooner they are reported the less decomposed they will be.

spangles


Joined: 22/10/2008
Posts: 411

Message Posted:
09/05/2011 11:40

Geomin - thank you for your post. The Society for the Protection of Turtles has been informed. As you say so sad and preventable.

Geomin


Joined: 25/01/2011
Posts: 76

Message Posted:
09/05/2011 13:35

Hi Groucho, as at about 4.45pm yesterday it was at Alagadi 2. Walk in a straight line from the cafe and there is a spur of rock that sticks out into the sea - we left it just to the right of this. If Robin wants to contact me I can give him more info if needed. My number is 0533 8773395

Spangles, thanks for letting SPOT know too.

negativenick


Joined: 10/11/2008
Posts: 6023

Message Posted:
09/05/2011 13:39

I was too embarased to take some visiting friends to Alagadi beach cos its a disgusting shit tip...



the local council sould be strung up for not looking after the place - prob too busy drinking coffee or thinking up some daft new law.............



still - least the houses are cheap.............

karakum5c



Joined: 18/03/2008
Posts: 1021

Message Posted:
09/05/2011 14:14

Its NOT the council !



Its the people...............take your Rubbish home dont dump it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Ask Not what your Country can do for you But what you can do for your COUNTRY !

raidercruise


Joined: 07/06/2010
Posts: 237

Message Posted:
09/05/2011 14:22

What a shame..

negativenick


Joined: 10/11/2008
Posts: 6023

Message Posted:
09/05/2011 17:33

mess 6 = its the council's responsiblity to keep the place clean and tidy.....



the locals will never change.........

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
09/05/2011 19:20

Armed with the info in msg4 went to Alagadi.

Unfortunately the turtle is nowhere to be found...

paddywack


Joined: 04/05/2009
Posts: 959

Message Posted:
09/05/2011 20:07

What is the going rate for turtle shell these days.

sienna


Joined: 09/01/2009
Posts: 1627

Message Posted:
09/05/2011 20:39

we went to Alagadi at Easter and I thought the rubbbish on the beach was far less than previous years.



Its all very well to say take your litter, I agree however it needs constant cleaning like any beach that gets bottles and rubbish from a far washed up.



Locals also do not look after the beauty they have and therefore a constant collection of rubbish needs to be set up - perhaps if their were more bins around that were actually emptied regularly would help but there is a different culture out there - you can only lead by example

rocky


Joined: 17/10/2007
Posts: 1749

Message Posted:
09/05/2011 21:27

Are quad bikes allowed on Algadi beach? I was there in April and family were ridning a quad bike over the dunes, hopefully not later this monh when the nesting starts

negativenick


Joined: 10/11/2008
Posts: 6023

Message Posted:
09/05/2011 21:32

mes 10 - nick nack padywack - leave that shell alone.................

rick1


Joined: 20/04/2010
Posts: 44

Message Posted:
09/05/2011 22:10

msg 6 spot on.



take your crap home.



you took it out of your car put the remains back in the car.



SIMPLES

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
09/05/2011 22:18

From what I have seen its mainly and I'm sorry to say this, but mainland Turkish who picnic, the Tcs are all in their villas enjoying their life. What can we do we are visitors. We went to a local beauty spot yesterday, the amount of rubbish left, well I cant begin to tell you. I guess they think they keep a fellow turkish man in a job xxxxx

mozgor



Joined: 16/06/2010
Posts: 256

Message Posted:
09/05/2011 23:56

Sorry to say, but the Turkish mainlanders in general don't have the same attitude to 'waste' and tidiness as we do and I should know, I'm married to one!!!!

RoxyBob


Joined: 13/07/2009
Posts: 205

Message Posted:
10/05/2011 06:21

Re Msg 15



Just got back from Mainland Turkey (Hatay region). The people there were extremely friendly and the place was far cleaner than North Cyprus.



Don't be too quick to blame everything on the Mainland Turkish people.

CheifOfficer


Joined: 28/05/2009
Posts: 12

Message Posted:
10/05/2011 08:43

Hi Geomin,I went directly to Alagadi and searched the whole beach as well as Alagadi 2 which is the second cove on the other side of the headland. I was dissapointed not to find it as it would have contributed to data collection towards my PhD the focus of which is the environmental impact of mediteranean atrisanal fisheries. I began to monitor stranded turtles in 2009 and in the first year recorded more than 60 (including 4 brought to me directly by fishermen). All of these I think have died because of fishing activities, mostly drowning in gill nets set on the bottom, some caught on longlines and some directly killed by a blow to the head.It's all evidence which points at a very important problem which we are working with fishermen towards reducing.If you have any more info on stranded turtles you can contact me on 05488868684. or through http://www.cyprusturtles.org. The plastic in the sea and on the beaches at the moment is discraceful and is clearly the cause of this incident.

pammick


Joined: 09/07/2009
Posts: 722

Message Posted:
10/05/2011 15:28

It often works if you shame the litter offenders into action. I was on Alagadi beach last summer sitting next to a family who were just about to walk away and leave all their litter behind. I called them back and pointed out that there were bins on their way out so could they take their rubbish with them. They were very embarassed and cleaned it all up very apologetically. On the same day I told a group of young men playing frizbee that they shoud not drape their towels and clothing over the turtle nest, or leave their empty beer bottles on the beach, again it did the trick, they took their rubbish away. They are thoughtless about these matters and if more people pointed out the problem to them in a polite way, maybe they would eventually get the message! It just takes a bit of courage to stand up and make your point and it usually works!



Pam

Geomin


Joined: 25/01/2011
Posts: 76

Message Posted:
11/05/2011 13:55

Hi Chiefofficer

Sorry I couldn't notify anyone earlier - my first thought was to go to the Goatshed but there was no one there, hence I put the post on here first thing Monday morning. I know it's a bit late now but I have your contact details should I see anything else like this - hopefully not!

Pam - well done! I know it seems obvious to point these things out but very few people have the courage to do so for fear of repercussions but a polite word and a smile shouldn't cause offence. Good on you.

mikeyCBBR


Joined: 05/01/2009
Posts: 168

Message Posted:
12/05/2011 18:51

There is another one dead on Crystal Bay Beach resort beach ( Evergreen) near Bacheli this time its a fully grown female, huge.My son found it there its his first week out and said the beach is filthy and full of syringes, what chance do the turtles have.We found a medium size one same place last year such a shame.I have emailed kuskor.org.



As for litter last year I made the mistake of asking the driver if he was Turkish he sharpy said no " I am Northern Cypriot" I then said why is there so much litter from the Turkish people and answered with a great reply " Because its not their country"



It needs more fines and education, rant over, sad

Pippie


Joined: 02/12/2009
Posts: 1288

Message Posted:
12/05/2011 23:34

I heard that they use prisoners to work on the roadsides (planting, weeding, painting fences etc.) or sweeping the streets - a sort of community service but they're supervised. If that is so, can anything be done to get the authorities to use these people to clean up the beaches - at least they'd be doing something worthwhile instead of keep pulling up and replacing the trees and bushes along the dual carriageway to Lefkoşa!!

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
13/05/2011 08:21

Find has been reported to Robin Snape.

Msg 21 I'm afraid the driver's response is typical from a Cypriot, it's always somebody else, never them. However I would point out that there is no dumping at sea from Cyprus and the medical waste is more than likely to emanate from Syria. They do dump at sea and it washes up on the beaches here. We have observed many items with Arabic script not on sale here on the beaches. I investigated the manufacturer and traced the items to Syria. So nice as the pejorative about Turkish Mainlanders is for serving the purpose of ethnic enmity it is not accurate to blame them solely for this mess. Don't fall into the local trap of blaming all TRNC problems on Turkey.

martinD41


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 3001

Message Posted:
13/05/2011 08:44

Msg 23..No dumping at sea from Cyprus......



Does it really make any difference from where the rubbish originates,at the end of the day it is on Cyprus Beaches and will continue to wash ashore from wherever.. The fact is that Medical waste is potentially dangerous (Hypodermic needles etc)and should be removed along with all the broken efes bottles that most certainly did not come from Syria...A little "Pride" from the TC's would be a good start..

CheifOfficer


Joined: 28/05/2009
Posts: 12

Message Posted:
13/05/2011 12:17

Msg 21 i am just off now to crystal bay to deal with this stranding. If you could give me a call on 0548 8868684 id appreciate so that I dont have any trouble locating it. I can call you directly back.



All of these sightings are going to this database http://www.seaturtle.org/strand which anyone is welcome to contribute to.



Many thanks, Robin (SPOT)

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
13/05/2011 15:06

Rob I think you've missed my point and quite rightly you've said a little pride from T/Cs would be a good start but my point was to indicate the error in blaming Turkish mainlanders for the mess on the beaches as if they, and they alone, are responsible. This ability to jump to racial stereotypes at the drop of the hat is all too often in evidence. Anyone despoiling the beaches should be horsewhipped! (well, this senseless littering makes my blood boil....) The medical waste almost certainly comes from other countries. This should be stopped... but blaming the wrong people does not help.

martinD41


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 3001

Message Posted:
14/05/2011 21:19

Gavin, I didn't miss your very valid point,but given that the MED is virtually land locked,the origin of the beach garbage is immaterial, what does matter, is whether the local authorities are willing and able to do something about it. On my own home Island we have tons of rubbish washed up, especially through the winter months,but it is dealt with in order to preserve the natural beauty ...Shame the same doesn't apply here ...

TRNCvictim


Joined: 17/08/2010
Posts: 1417

Message Posted:
14/05/2011 21:40

martinD41 (mess 27)



It will never apply to the TRNC neither the Government or the Authorities can't see past the end of their noses!



sienna (mess 11)



Whenever I have been to Alagadi it has always been full of crap! you must have been very lucky over Easter!