The Audit Office expresses a series of serious questions and disputes in its special report regarding the urban application for the creation of a crocodile theme park in the area of the Art and Smalled Communities.
The report, which was released on Monday, states that the issue should not be treated as a matter of political decision, but should be based on substantiated decisions of all the Departments and Bodies involved, the huge number of crocodiles (1.002) originally proposed by the interested parties is not in line with the purpose of a theme park, as reasonable questions arise regarding the positive opinion of the Environmental Authority regarding the request for development and operation of a crocodile park, while a feasibility study has not been prepared.
The audit of the Audit Office was based on an assessment of data for the period 2013-2017 and was carried out in the context of compliance control, which aimed to investigate a complaint submitted to the Office regarding the risks in case of operation of a crocodile park of the species crocodylious niloticus of the Nile) in Cyprus.
It is noted that, although the said urban planning application had been rejected by the Urban Planning Authority, the Audit Office considered it important to examine the matter as on the one hand a relevant court case was pending against the Republic of Cyprus and on the other hand a preliminary study by the Minister had Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment (GAAP) and its Departments involved in the overall handling of the issue, despite its seriousness as it touches on parameters related to health, safety and the environment.
He also notes that the findings of the Service are considered relevant in view of the possible submission of a new application for the creation of a crocodile theme park in the community of Achna.
The report emphasizes that the examination of the introduction of crocodiles and the creation of a theme park or crocodile farm in Cyprus is a multidimensional issue which should not be treated as a matter of political decision, but should be based on substantiated decisions of all parties involved. Departments and Institutions. According to the findings of the service, there are shortcomings in the existing legislation, which does not include any relevant provisions for the operation of theme parks.
At the same time, without the necessary know-how in the breeding of crocodiles and in general in the care of crocodiles, if such development is allowed, it will not be possible to exercise the required control in general by the competent authorities. The huge number of crocodiles (1.002) originally proposed by the interested parties is not in line with the purpose of a theme park, as, as it turned out, a much smaller number of crocodiles (170 - 220) would fulfill the expected purpose.
Also, no feasibility study has been prepared for the project, as a result of which reservations are created regarding the viability of the whole development.
The Audit Office expressed its concern about the future intentions of the applicants, as the possibility of importing, at an early stage, 170 - 220 crocodiles and then promoting the import of about 800 additional crocodiles, which may have resulted, cannot be ruled out. the expansion of the theme park to a kennel for the purpose of marketing live crocodiles, their meat and skin, as was the original intention of the Israeli company.
He notes that the reliability of the company does not seem to have sufficiently troubled the Ministry of GAAP and its Departments, as data recorded in the tax returns of the company are questionable and no tax returns have been submitted for all years, nor audited financial statements for any year. since its inception.
Reasonable questions also arise regarding the positive opinion of the Environmental Authority regarding the request for development and operation of a crocodile park, regardless of the set of conditions set and doubts about the ability of the competent Departments to monitor their implementation.
Stresses also that in the event of a permit for the operation of such an establishment and consequently a permit for the importation of these reptiles into an EU Member State, it will automatically imply the right of interested parties to conduct intra-Community trade, for which the Republic of Cyprus, as a Member State, may to be exposed.
As the applicant company is in contact with the Achna Community Council, in order to launch a relevant process for the creation of a crocodile park in the area, the Audit Office considers that the findings presented in this Report should be taken into account when considering any new urban planning application. in relation to the creation of a crocodile park, regardless of which area it belongs to.
According to the conclusions, the existing legislation does not have relevant provisions for the operation of theme parks. For this reason, he suggests that it would be useful to explore the institutional framework under which such parks operate in other European Union countries.
Stresses that questions are raised about the ability of the relevant Departments to exercise sufficient control and impose corrective measures in the event that the development would not work on the basis of the relevant framework as there is no necessary know-how in crocodile breeding and crocodile care in general which, if such development is allowed, will not be able to exercise the required control in general by the competent authorities and in particular by the Department of Environment.
It is noted that the applicant company had submitted an "agreement document for the provision of veterinary services" between the company and a private veterinarian, according to which the latter would provide veterinary services to the company.
However, the Office of the Auditor General found that no inspection has been carried out either by the Ministry of GAAP or by its competent Departments regarding the expertise and training of the veterinarian in question regarding the specific species.
In the report, it is pointed out that the Director General of the Ministry of GAAP expressed the view that the current institutional framework provides sufficient powers so that the facility in question can be inspected and corrective measures can be imposed, if necessary. At the same time, he stated that for the purposes of strengthening the legal framework that generally concerns the facilities where wild animals are displayed to the public, a relevant bill has been prepared and is in the process of technical control. He also informed the Office of the Auditor General that, as an intermediate measure, a draft Decree concerning crocodile theme parks has been prepared, which is also in the stage of legislative control.
Regarding the lack of know-how, he informed that this has concerned the competent Services, however he expressed the view that its lack can not be a reason for rejecting an application or issuing a negative Environmental Opinion and that such conditions can be included to address the issue, either in the environmental Opinion or in the subsequent licensing of the installation.
He points out that the action of the representative of the Israeli company to ask the Minister of GAAP to send two specific officials of the IC for an on-site visit, at her own expense, to its facilities in Israel and the granting of relevant approval, is impressive, especially considering that, no application for a planning permit was submitted during the visit, which was registered almost nine months later.
He points out that the huge number of crocodiles (1.002) initially proposed by the interested parties is not in line with the purpose of a theme park, as, as it turned out, a much smaller number of crocodiles (170 - 220) would fulfill the expected purpose.
He notes that maintaining such a large stockpile would create problems in the event that it was decided at a later stage, for whatever reason, to withdraw the relevant licensing.
According to the Office of the Auditor General, "the intention of the applicants was to bring into Cyprus the entire population of these reptiles that were on a specific farm in Israel, while the JC and the IT, as competent Departments, seem to have been indifferent or even ignored the real intentions of the interested parties, which may be the attempt to export this population of reptiles from Israel as soon as possible and the future development of the proposed park into a farm ".
Also, the competent authorities of Cyprus do not seem to have come into official contact directly with either the Israeli authorities or the competent Managing Authorities CITES, in order to receive answers, both for the current operation of the farm in question, and for any problems or risks that arose, in particular taking into account that, as mentioned above, the KY, by letter dated 5.9.2014, to the Ministry of GAAP, reported that, according to information on the internet, in 2011 a significant number of crocodiles escaped from the farm of origin of these crocodiles and that the Israeli authorities ordered the closure of the farm, which left 1.000 crocodiles neglected and the Israeli authorities were exploring ways to extract them.
The Director General of the Ministry of GAAP informed the Audit Office that all procedures and requirements provided by Community legislation will be observed. Regarding the possibility of extending the park to a kennel, he pointed out that this is explicitly prohibited in the draft Decree that has been prepared.
Taking into account on the one hand the delay observed with the tolerance of all the involved services and mainly the Veterinary Services, as a competent Authority, in the case of handling the case of an unlicensed zoo, which as pointed out in our letter dated. 22.9.2016 to the CAs, reached the limits of negligence, as the CAs did not monitor this issue either at the level of District Veterinary Offices / stations or at the level of Administration, which indicated weakness and lack of administrative supervision, and on the other hand the lack of sufficient know-how. and expertise from the competent authorities, "we believe that with the licensing of a crocodile park / farm in Cyprus there was a serious risk that similar, if not worse, problems would arise".
It is pointed out that the evaluation of the viability of the project is important, since in case of bankruptcy of the company the State will be called to manage the fate of the remaining crocodiles.
The Audit Office is concerned about the future intentions of the applicants as the possibility of initially importing 170 - 220 crocodiles and later promoting the import of another 800 or so crocodiles and possibly then promoting the expansion of the theme park to a kennel can not be ruled out. for the purpose of marketing live crocodiles, their meat and skin, as was the original intention of the Israeli company.
"Taking into account the above, as well as the positions of all the involved bodies, reasonable questions arise regarding the positive opinion of the Environmental Authority regarding the request for development and operation of a crocodile park, regardless of the set of conditions it set, which in any case In this case, it is doubtful whether any of the competent Departments would be able to monitor their implementation ", it is emphasized.
Famagusta.News / KYPE