The Shipping Deputy Ministry is moving ahead with new technological tools to detect incidents of marine pollution, aiming to have direct information on where and when boats discharge sewage into the sea. Speaking on Politis radio's "Defteri Matia" programme, the deputy ministry's deputy director, Theodoulos Mesimeris, revealed that special sensors are being rolled out on boats fitted with sewage retention tanks.
The sensors will be able to transmit information to the relevant authority on the exact point where a discharge takes place, allowing the Shipping Deputy Ministry to know whether a boat is emptying its sewage into the sea and in which area this is happening.
Ferries first, private boats to follow
In its first phase, the system will be applied to coastal ferry vessels, while in cooperation with marina operators, plans are in place to extend it to smaller private boats as well. The goal, Mesimeris said, is for every boat fitted with a sewage retention tank to eventually carry the relevant sensor.
To roll out the system, the deputy ministry is working with the Cyprus Telecommunications Authority, which will provide the necessary equipment and technological infrastructure, in coordination with the Deputy Ministry of Innovation. According to Mesimeris, a specific timetable and individual actions have already been set, with the aim of having the system operational by the start of the new summer season, by March or April at the latest.
The period when boats are taken out of the water for maintenance work will also be used to install the sensors, he explained.
Drone vessel already on patrol
Alongside this, an unmanned specialised vessel provided by the European Commission, already stationed at Vasilikos, has joined the effort to monitor marine pollution. The system will support existing checks carried out to detect pollution at sea, complementing aerial surveillance.
Mesimeris noted that these technological solutions form part of a wider plan to strengthen checks, which also includes additional sampling and inspections by the relevant authorities. He stressed that the planned actions have already been mapped out, and what remains is their effective implementation, adding that the Shipping Deputy Ministry is determined to proceed with their rollout without delay.
