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KALOPANAGIOTIS DAM EMPTY NOVEMBER 2006
25 November 2006
Kalopanagiotis dam is empty again. Maybe this time it was a good idea to empty the dam as it was full of roach and it was very difficult for the trout to find enough food. This is the reason the trout this year were much smaller than the previous years stocks. However what happened to the thousands of trout in the dam? Some of the trout there were around 3 years old and surely of huge sizes. Were any of the fish saved? I very much doubt it. The water department (and maybe the fisheries department) decided to empty the dam and did it quickly and secretly to avoid any complaints from people. I believe however that the time chosen to do it was completely wrong. There will just not be enough time for the dam to fill again, be restocked with trout and allow the fish to grow to considerable sizes before the next summer. Any fish that will be taken by anglers this year will be much smaller than last year and by the time they grow, the dam will be emptied again. But again, why should we expect anything better?
YERMASOGIA DAM TUNNEL OPENING EXPOSED
28 October 2006
The tunnel opening inside the dam is above the water level and there is no real reason to remove any more water from the dam. The water level has dropped down to 2.5% of the dam capacity and fortunately the weather is changing with lower temperatures and some rain which will help in the provision of oxygen for the remaining fish in the dam. The water department officials do not have an excuse any more. If they remove any more water is pointless and it will just prove that they actually make an effort to destroy the dam. There are now about 340,000 tons of water left in the dam which means that there are still a few meters of water in some areas of the dam making it possible for some fish to survive. I believe that the officials did not know exactly the position of the opening. Lets just hope they will manage to replace the damaged door in the tunnel soon, so that the dam will be allowed to collect water during the winter time, saving the fish and other wildlife.
12 October 2006
The water level at Yermasogia dam has dropped below 3%. The damage is already huge. Many fish have already died and the rest are infected by some kind of bacteria. The water looks more like mud and soon all the fish will die due to lack of oxygen unless some fresh water from the recent rain enters the dam. The water department officials still do not want to admit that they are emptying the dam. They say that they have no intention to empty the dam but if no water is left in the dam then they will fix the door!!! There is a tunnel at the east side of the dam wall. This tunnel was leaking all the time. Now what they are trying to do, is open the door which seems to have a problem. I believe they do not know exactly what they are dealing with. They are not sure where the other end of the tunnel is. If it is at the bottom of the dam, then, when they manage to open the door all the water will escape towards the sea, killing all the fish. If the opening is higher, then some water will remain in the dam. Of course if they had done their homework they could find a solution. One solution would be to use a rubber dam wall to control the water (like they do in other countries when rivers or dams are over spilling). There is a company in Greece specialised on these walls and they can work in Cyprus if the officials call them. But again who cares? We have contacted almost all the TV channels, major newspapers, Yermasogia municipality, etc... but nobody showed any real interest on the matter. We have also contacted European Union program Natura 2000 officials but unfortunately there is nothing they can do because Cyprus government officials did not include Yermasogia or any other dam (except Arminou) in the European program for protection (makes you wonder why). Lets just hope that at least the people who designed the dam did a good job and the tunnel entrance is located a couple of meters above the bottom (if not covered by mud).
We have been informed by a friend (Pampos) that this year him and his friends caught many TILAPIA and some small PERCH at Yermasogia dam. Perch has disappeared from the dam many years ago but it seems they have somehow managed to survive. With these two extra kinds of fish this dam would have been a paradise on earth in the next couple of years. Unfortunately even if no more water is removed, it will take 3-4 years for the dam to recover and if the water is removed the dam will be destroyed for ever. The fisheries department does not have the means to stock the dam properly again (they have not managed to even stock Aradippou and Achna dams with bass yet).
POSSIBLE BACTERIA INFECTION AT YERMASOGIA DAM
25 July 2006
The last couple of months some strange spots appeared on many fish including largemouth bass and roach, at Yermasogia dam. Those spots became bigger and more dense the last 2 or 3 weeks and there is also blood coming out of them. The fisheries department has taken some samples and sent them to the veterinary services. The vets said that although a more detailed examination is needed, it seems like some sort of bacterial infection. They are not in a position to give more details yet, but it would be a good idea if anglers avoided the consumption of fish from Yermasogia dam until the fisheries department has the results of the tests. Then we would know for sure if we should avoid eating or even catching fish from Yermasogia dam.
The fisheries department has also information that a carp caught at Asprogremmos dam had some similar spots. If this is verified then we might be talking about a disease affecting all of our dams.
25 July 2006
Small bass appeared at Kalavasos dam a few days ago. The bass around 7-12 cm are present in thousands. It would be a good idea if the fisheries department arranged a group of people to go there and collect some fish (using small lures or bait) for restocking other dams like Aradippou and Achna. Collecting bass for restocking cannot be done without planning, as the time of year when small bass are available varies from dam to dam and from one year to the next. Also small bass are easier to carry and the possibility of survival is greater than bigger bass.
The small bass at Kalavasos will disappear soon as there is not enough food for them (they are growing and needing more baitfish). Most of them will die or be eaten by the bigger bass. This happens every year and nothing is done by the fisheries department to correct the situation.
YERMASOGIA DAM MIGHT NOT BE EMPTIED THIS YEAR
25 July 2006
Although the water department is removing thousands of tons of water every day from Yermasogia dam, it seems that they will not manage to empty the dam before the rain comes. However, this does not necessarily mean good news for the anglers as the dam will definitely be emptied next year. The good news is only for the company building the small bridge at the south west corner of the dam as they are working on dry land and by the time the rain comes they will have finished the foundations of the bridge.
The water department has not convinced anybody that to replace the dam door they must remove all the water. Let's hope that now they will have a few more months to think about it or ask for some professional opinion.
03 June 2006
Yermasogia dam is going to be empty before the end of this year. We saw this coming months ago, but nobody would believe us. The water department officials want to keep this a secret for some reason and avoid any discussion on the matter. They say that they use as much water as needed and nothing is different from previous years. The fisheries department officials say they have nothing to do with the water management and of course they do not want to have any responsibility on the matter. Whatever the case, what matters is the result. Hundreds of thousands of fish, turtles, eels, and other animals will die in the mud suffering under the hot sun. And who cares? It seems nobody. We believe that the officials want to keep this a secret so as not to have to do something for the rescue of the fish and other wildlife. The ecosystem that took around 40 years to develop will be gone forever in the next couple of months. We cannot argue as to the reasons for emptying the dam. If it really has to do with safety matters, and there is no way around it (lets hope they did some research on the matter!!!), then it has to be done. However, we believe that there is a way to save most of the fish and other wildlife. It just means that some people have to sit down and make plans. Maybe even ask for expert assistance from overseas. Have they done that? I don't think so. Then there would be no reason to keep this a so well kept secret. We have seen empty dams and fish suffering and finally dying in the mud, before. Nothing though compares to what we are going to see in Yermasogia dam. Which dam will be next? We just have to wait and see.
SHORT NEWS
25 Feb 2006
1. The fisheries department is planning to stock Aradippou dam with Largemouth Bass in the near future. They have finally recognised the need for a predator in the dam to keep the balance. We have been trying to tell them that for more than two years now. Anyway, this is good news, the only problem being that they do not have any bass in stock now, and as explained by the fisheries dept officials, they will try to collect some fish for stocking in the next few weeks.
2. We may hear some good news soon regarding Kalavasos and Dhypotamos dams. The fisheries department seem to have finally realised the urgent need for forage fish in both dams. They know now that there is an urgent need for stocking both dams with a forage fish. However, as mentioned in another article on this web site, they are not willing to import bluegill which would be perfect for the situation (or any other species - they say that they are worried for possible import of diseases but they are introducing brown trout!!!). They are also against Tilapia because, although rare, the water temperature could fall below 10 degrees resulting in the death of older and weak fish and they do not want the hassle of having to explain to the media the real reason for this. The only option left, will be stocking the dams with Roach which is not the best solution but it is better than nothing. Of course Dhypotamos dam would be more difficult to stock due to the presence of Zander.
3. The fisheries department imported brown trout fingerlings with the purpose of re-stocking mountain streams and small rivers with this species. They are not planning, as they explained to us, to stock the trout dams with brown trout because of the known problems with this species, except maybe Arminou and Prodromos dams. Stocking of mountain streams will probably start in two years.
23 Feb 2006
Lefka dam is empty again. All the water was removed once more and all fish killed. This sounds very familiar. And we would better get used to the idea, because it will happen again in the future. The dam was built to provide water for the fields of the turkish Cypriots that used to live in the area before the turkish invasion of 1974. It seems that the water still belongs to them according to the Cyprus constitution. So, as soon as they demand the water, we have to empty the dam and allow the water to fill the dam in the turkish-occupied part of Lefka area. These are politics and although we do not agree, we cannot argue with the government decisions. What we think is wrong though and could be avoided, would be the complete removal of the water. If some water was left in the dam, then most of the fish would survive and the damage would be much less. Of course it would take some effort from the relevant government departments, like having somebody there to check the level of the water and close the gate. But who would do such a difficult job??? Isn't it easier to just sit in the office and let the dam dry out completely? After all, only a few thousand fish will die and the tax payers will pay for them anyway!!!
BEGINNING OF 2006 FISHING YEAR
12 Jan 2006
Based on various discussions and information we had, we believed that we would see some changes regarding freshwater fishing for 2006. Unfortunately nothing changed:
Xyliatos dam remains closed. As we mentioned earlier, all efforts to find any watersnakes, from the fisheries dept and the German expert, failed. All the transmitters that were implanted in the watersnakes were found in the dam. Still the dam remains closed and the fisheries dept blames other government departments for that (dept of forests, Environment service, Game Fund Service, etc..). In either case the future of freshwater fishing in general, does not look good. If the fisheries dept really wanted to open the dam and does not have the authority or power to do it, then this means that, the future of freshwater fishing in Cyprus is in the hands of people who do not know anything about fishing or do not care anyway. If the fisheries dept did not want to open the dam (don't forget that it was the fisheries dept that decided to close the dam in the first place), then things regarding the future of freshwater fishing could even be worse. Of course, don't forget that keeping the dam closed could just be a very good way to avoid having to explain what happened to the watersnake.
When you go to the fisheries dept to renew your fishing license you will receive a list showing the different dams, indicating whether they are open or closed for fishing and what kinds of fish are present in each dam. If you study the leaflet you will immediately notice that it is a copy of the one given last year (and the year before, and the year before that, etc...) with the addition of the zander in Lefkara dam. It does not contain for example, the Tilapia in Asprogremmos dam, Catfish in Yermasogia dam etc.. and it includes Tench in Dhypotamos dam, which we have not seen for years (but does not mention carp which exists in huge sizes in the dam), perch in Yermasogia dam that disappeared years ago, etc... The information given is misleading and incomplete. It just seems that nobody really bothers with freshwater fishing.
The fisheries department last year said that they are looking to introduce new species. Then they started finding excuses for not bringing new species. First they said that European Union does not allow it. Then, they changed it and said that they are worried about the possibility of diseases from the introduction of new species. The import of thousand of freshwater fish (tropical or not) from Thailand and other countries for pet shops or the production of rainbow and brown trout by private fish farms in Troodos area (brown and rainbow trout are being produced by private companies in Cyprus for human consumption - you can find both species in the supermarkets), some of which escape, ending up in our dams does not bother them, but the import of one particular kind of fish from the United States for example (a country with very strict rules), which can be introduced in one particular dam or the government fish farm and monitored for as long as necessary, worries them!!!
We do not like to repeat ourselves, but freshwater fishing in Cyprus could be much better (with the exception of rainbow trout stocking, which is good). And it doesn't need that much effort. With little more effort and some money a lot can change. But it seems that the fisheries department is not willing to do much and there does not seem to be any way to make them change their attitude.
After Aradippou dam was emptied a few years ago, and restocking was on the way, the British from the nearby basis (an Anglers coarse fishing club) had requested to stock it only with carp and roach. They succeeded !!! The reason? They have an organised body (just an angling club !!!) that really cares about fishing - coarse fishing only of course, but it should give us all a lesson!!!
Why is Vyzakia dam closed for fishing for so many years? Is it because the anglers would litter the banks of the dam or pollute the water? If this is so, then why don't they close all dams? Or is it a private dam for the people of the nearby village?
As we mentioned in another section of this web site, the options for the Nicosia anglers are very limited. We hoped that things would change this year by opening Xyliatos and Vyzakia dams or stocking properly Tamasos and Lefka dams, or even stocking Aradippou dam with bass. The fisheries department does not seem willing to do any of the above and unfortunately there is no way to apply any pressure to them. But don't loose hope. If the British one day decide to start bass fishing in any of these dams, everything can change.!!!
We will once more list our suggestions to the fisheries and other departments with the hope that someday things will start changing in this country for the benefit of everybody. In other countries natural resources are protected, developed and used for the benefit of the people in all possible ways. It is only in Cyprus that a dam for example was only built to store water and cannot be used for any other purpose, or all the water from dams is removed killing thousand of fish or the water level drops so low because we waste it, and suddenly we realise that this will be another dry winter.
Suggestions to the fisheries and other departments. Click here...
SMALL TROUT IN KALOPANAGIOTIS DAM
06 Dec. 2005
At the end of October 2005, the fisheries department stocked Kalopanagiotis dam with a few thousand of small rainbow trout (5-6 cm). The same procedure was followed last year as well, with very good results. In 2-3 months those trout (the ones that will survive of course), will be of a considerable size, and the fishing in Kalopanagiotis dam will be good. All these of course, only if the water is not removed from the dam at the beginning of 2006, as it usually happens. The fisheries department must do whatever necessary to coordinate with the water department. Last year some water was left in the dam, resulting in the saving of a lot of fish. Of course, the more water left in the dam, the more fish will survive.
We all remember the good old days when the fisheries department used to grow the fish to a good size before releasing them. Now things have changed. The fisheries department cannot grow the fish in the fish farms. There is just not enough space or money. They have to release them early in the dams. For all these of course we should not blame the department. The ones to be blamed solely, are the anglers. Or better, the "anglers". We all know what used to happen one or two days before the opening of the trout season. People staying for two or three nights at the banks of the dams, most of them fishing illegally, some using spot lights or God knows what else, others swimming to the nets where the fish were kept, tearing them apart to release all the fish, etc... All with only one thing in mind. To catch as many fish as possible. Some were boasting as well: "I caught 100 legal ones and 200 illegal ones". Thankfully, the fisheries department decided to put an end to all that. And all those "anglers" disappeared. Well, at least most of them. Some are still around waiting for the opportunity to arise.
The fisheries department is doing an excellent job with the production of the rainbow trout. Lets just hope that they will continue to offer this beautiful fishing experience to us. They may not do much in other areas, but as far as rainbow trout is concerned, they are doing a very good job. Congratulations to the department. Keep-up the good work.
The anglers should keep in mind that producing the rainbows is both time consuming and money costing. We should respect that, and do whatever necessary to protect the sport of trout fishing. A few simple rules would be: If you want to go for trout fishing, use big hooks and big baits to avoid catching small rainbows. If you accidentally catch small fish, release it immediately back to the water. Even better, do not go for trout fishing in a dam that you know there are small rainbows. Be patient and you will be rewarded at the end. If what you want is fish, and not fishing, then visit the local supermarket, not a dam.
One last thing. The fisheries department officials should patrol the dams often, especially the ones stocked with trout at this time of year. The dams should NOT close for fishing. We do not want to go back to the same old situation we had a few years ago. The future of trout fishing is up to the anglers. If we want to enjoy the sport, we have to respect it.
19 Nov. 2005
An overview of the fishing situation in Cyprus for the year 2005. Read more...
21 Sept. 2005
SEPTEMBER 2005. Is the water in the dams used wisely? Some of the dams are almost empty! Yermasogia dam close to destruction...
ASPROGREMMOS DAM
25 Aug. 2005
It is now confirmed that Tilapia is well established in Asprogremmos dam. Many small tilapia are swimming in the dam, which means that even with the presence of big bass, they managed to survive and reproduce. There seems to be a good enough number of grown individuals of this species, able to maintain a self-sustaining population. Lets hope that something similar will happen in Kalavasos dam. Tilapia has similar qualities as the Bluegill, which we have recommended for stocking in our dams (Read more...), with the disadvantage that it cannot survive in water temperatures lower than 10 οC. If eventually, the Fisheries Department decides not to proceed with the introduction of new fish species, then it would be a good idea to stock some of our dams, like Yermasogeia, Kalavasos, Tamasos, etc. with tilapia. Many adult tilapia can be found in Athalassa lake. The water there is polluted, but not the fish. They could be moved in a different location for some time and after some tests are made, released in various dams.
RECENT ALLUSIONS - "REPORTS" WITH REFERENCE TO THIS WEB SITE
12 Aug. 2005
Further to recent allusions - "reports" by some people regarding our comments for the situation in Kalavasos dam (and other references we have made) and though we do not want to engage in any personal discussion, accusations or low level arguments, we feel that we have to respond and explain a few things. This site was created for the purpose of giving out information regarding the various fish found in the sea and dams of Cyprus and other info concerning angling on the island. And we do it solely because we love fishing. We do not want, in any way, to pretend that we are the "experts" on the subject. We just give out information as per our understanding, or as we receive it, or as explained by experts and scientists. What we do, is, study the different subjects in depth and in conjunction with our own experience and common sense, comment as appropriate. And all that using our limited free time, without seeking any kind of personal recognition or credit !!! We would not like to waste any more of our time with those "reports". Besides, the reader can easily understand the difference between reliable information and any attempt for self-promotion.
The Roach (Rutilus rutilus) and Kalavasos dam
July 2005
The Fisheries department says that they have taken Largemouth Bass samples and found no water snakes in their stomachs. So, they believe that Bass do not harm the water snake. Unfortunately, the reality is much different. We all know that Bass are voracious hunters and water snakes are part of their diet. This is how they behave everywhere and there is no reason they should act differently in Xyliatos dam. We will therefore try to prove that the Fisheries department is wrong, (and this will be disastrous to the water snake) using simple mathematics.
Water snakes give birth to 4-9 eggs every year. Lets assume that each snake produces 7 eggs out of which 5 manage to survive (best case scenario). Since we know that there are 10 adult water snakes, then if 5 are female, we will have 25 new born water snakes every year in Xyliatos dam.
According to American scientists and experts, in man-made dams and lakes, where there is no human interference, e.g. fishing, the density of Largemouth Bass is 15-50 kilos per 4000 square meters. Lets say that in Xyliatos dam the density is 30 kilos, which means that there must be around 1650 Largemouth Bass in the dam today.
If we assume that the Fisheries department employees took samples during the hatching period (Sep-Oct), then the probability a Bass taken, will have a water snake in its stomach, is 1/65 Χ 1/60 = 1/3900 = 0.00026
(If samples were taken some other period of the year, the probability is 1/65 Χ 1/365 = 1/23725 = 0.000042)
Now, if based on the above probabilities, the Fisheries department still believes that since they have not found any water snake in a bass stomach, everything is O.K., I'm afraid that soon the water snake will be history in Cyprus.
Sometime during the end of July 2002 one of the best and most beautiful fishing places was destroyed by the fisheries department. Without any serious planning, all the water was removed and most of the fish was let to die (Huge amounts of Largemouth bass from a few cm long to 2-3 kilos each, thousands of rainbow trout, really big carp, roach and mosquito fish and possibly eel and perch). A fisheries dept employee said that they managed to catch some fish but most of it went down the river (which is dried out and is also in the buffer zone) resulting to the death of thousand of freshwater fish that took many-many years to grow.
What people don't know is that the same procedure was followed a couple of years ago at Lympia dam and the underwater life there was also destroyed.
What is really worrying about the situation, is that not only the lifeform that took years to develop was destroyed but if the same procedure is to be followed, not much will be done to restore the dam.
Feb 25, 2004. Lefka dam is EMPTY AGAIN. All water has been removed once more by the fisheries and water development depts and all underwater life form DESTROYED for the second time in less than two years. And nobody seems to care. !!! WHY ???
XYLIATOS DAM
Xyliatos dam remains closed since the end of 2001 and not a very convincing explanation was given by the fisheries dept. (Read more...)
VYZAKIA DAM
Why Vyzakia dam has been closed for fishing for so many years?
ARADIPPOU DAM
Sometime between the 25-28th of August 2002, all the water from Aradippou dam was removed by the fisheries department and following the same policy as with all other cases, all the fish was let to die !!!. The number of fish that died is not known but it is believed that it was thousands again as the dam was full of roach, carp, and tilapia (largemouth bass was killed the year before,because the water was let to drop at very low levels). Huge pits were opened to bury the fish so as nobody could see the amount of damage to the freshwater fish stocks.
