Paradise Lost
The olive tree, the symbol of peace and hope is having a very hard
time in Cyprus right now. They are being wiped out at an alarming rate,
particularly along the north coast of the island, which was once
saturated with olive trees.
Official figures in 1975, estimated the number of olive trees in the
Turkish Cypriot Community to be about 660,000. Since then around over 1/3
of these trees have been lost. Figures recently published for 2005,
estimated that 10,000 olive trees were destroyed, which are around 200
trees per week.
Despite a prohibition on the pruning or removal of olive
trees, dating back to colonial rule, that carries a maximum penalty of 3-6 years imprisonment, no person or entity
had yet been prosecuted to our knowledge.
The situation in the Kyrenia area was so dire that special efforts
needed to be taken, as a matter of urgency, to protect these trees before
they disappeared altogether (or until such time as the authorities were able
to abide by and enforce their own rules).
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Olive groves cleared by the acre, to
make way for new houses, roads and swimming pools.
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