The Cabinet has decided to implement the amendment of existing legislation concerning the prohibition of vessels from sailing from the territory of the Republic during severe weather conditions, as an interim measure until the establishment of the Coast Guard, Deputy Minister of Shipping Marina Hadjimanolis has said.
According to the Deputy Minister, the Cabinet on 2 September also approved the establishment of a Committee on Anchorages, chaired by the Deputy Ministry of Shipping and comprising all competent government and other services. The Committee will examine, in a comprehensive manner, issues relating to safety, the conditions under which vessels remain at anchor, as well as the collection and proper management of waste, with the aim of ensuring unified coordination among the government services operating at sea and establishing clear responsibilities.
Speaking after the Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace, Hadjimanolis referred to the meeting held on Tuesday at the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC), attended by herself, the Ministers of Justice and Public Order and Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, “following the recent catastrophic events” caused by severe weather conditions in various areas of the Republic of Cyprus on 29 August, when a man died and two boats were destroyed after running aground.
She noted that the meeting examined the parameters relating to the prohibition of vessels from sailing in cases of adverse weather conditions.
“It was pointed out that the matter will be definitively resolved through the legislation currently being prepared for the establishment of the Coastguard Service of the Republic of Cyprus, for which the Cabinet took a relevant decision on 16 March 2026,” she said.
However, until the relevant legislative framework comes into force, she said, “it was considered appropriate, as an immediate transitional measure, to examine in parallel an amendment to existing legislation, or the issuing of regulations under existing legislation, concerning the prohibition of ships and vessels from sailing from the territory of the Republic, as well as their mandatory relocation to a safe shelter or port when adverse weather conditions prevail.”
Accordingly, she said, the Cabinet decided that, until the issue of prohibiting ships and vessels from sailing from the territory of the Republic and/or requiring their relocation to a safe shelter or port in adverse weather conditions is definitively resolved through the legislation being prepared for the establishment of the Republic’s Coastguard Service, the Deputy Ministry of Shipping should prepare, in cooperation with all relevant stakeholders, an amending bill to existing legislation or draft regulations under existing legislation.
It also approved the establishment of a Committee on Anchorages, chaired by the Deputy Ministry of Shipping and comprising all relevant government and other services.
Hadjimanolis said that, until now, the marine weather bulletin had been issued by the Meteorological Service, while Radio Cyprus, which operates under the JRCC, made the relevant announcements. “It was the responsibility of the vessel operators themselves, as is the case in other parts of the world, to act accordingly, to take their vessels to a safe shelter and to protect the lives of those on board,” she said.
Asked about the role of the Committee on Anchorages, the Deputy Minister said they see an increasing number of boat owners mooring their vessels in various locations that are not designated for such purposes. She further noted that mooring is prohibited in areas designated as NATURA sites or otherwise protected areas. “However, there is no prohibition notice,” she said.
Therefore, she explained, through the establishment of the Committee, the competent departments responsible for anchorages - including the Cyprus Ports Authority, together with the Department of Environment and the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research, among others - will be able to coordinate more effectively.
“The aim is to determine how we can ultimately protect people by ensuring that vessels anchor in designated areas, while also addressing the various environmental impacts, because vessels that moor there in an uncontrolled manner pollute the environment,” she added.
(Source:CNA)
