The Cyprus Marine Environment Protection Association CYMEPA was founded in August 1992 with the kind initiative of Sir Stelios Haji-ioannou and the generous support of both the International Shipping Community of Cyprus and the Commercial Community of the island. As a voluntary, non-profit making and non-governmental association, CYMEPA has been established with the adoption of similar to the 1982 inaugural HELMEPA Declaration of Voluntary Commitment ''to Save the Seas". It is an autonomous, not-for-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) funded solely by its members; a movement, a synergy of people in the industry, who care for the environment and wish to try to make the difference.

The objective of this non-governmental and non-profit organization was and still remains, to inform, educate and motivate the human element in shipping, from shipowner to the last seafarer, towards safeguarding the marine environment and enhancing safety at sea. One of its main activities is to support and assist the Government of Cyprus in ratifying and implementing international conventions addressing the protection of the marine environment.

The principal aim of CYMEPA is to encourage and actively assist effective efforts to prevent all forms of pollution of the sea. The Association also helps seafarers and executives to be more aware of the safety and protection of the marine environment. In this respect the fifth issue of the electronic newsletter to Seafarers was circulated in June 2015 with the collaboration of the Cyprus Shipping Chamber. The sixth issue will be prepared in December 2015.

CYMEPA heads the Educational Activities Working Group of the Cyprus Shipping Chamber (CSC) and within this framework the Adopt-a-Ship Campaign. This year the classes of primary schools that participated increased from 48 to 66.  In this Campaign, a vessel is assigned to a class of schoolchildren for e-mail communication between the children and the master and crew of the vessel on a weekly basis. The following companies kindly offered their ships: Intership Navigation, Interorient Navigation, Columbia Shipmanagement, Mastermind Shipmanagement, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, Lemissoler Navigation and Marlow Navigation. We are very grateful to all of them.

CYMEPA has been utilized to host the regular meetings of the Nautical Institute Cyprus Branch and serves as the examination Centre for the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers Examinations in Cyprus.

CYMEPA also operates extensive public awareness campaigns and implements programmes such as the Blue Flag for beaches and marinas, the Green Key for hotels and restaurants, and several sustainability education programmes such as Eco-Schools, Learning about Forests and Young Reporters for the Environment. In parallel it runs a CYMEPA Junior Programme inspired by the prototype of HELMEPA Junior.

This year in co-operation with the Cyprus Shipping Chamber (CSC) we organized seminars and visits at the premises of Interorient, Intership and Lemissoler with the aim to bring children closer to the maritime industry. In addition, at the end of the school year, all the participating teachers were invited by Columbia Shipmanagement to attend a presentation by a lady First Mate and a tour of the Company. During this event, small wooden ships were presented to the teachers. In addition the son of Captain Adami, Nicholas, visited the Apsiou Primary School and shared his sea life experience with the children.

At the same time, Green Offices is a pilot, innovative eco-label for offices and buildings pioneered by CYMEPA. It is awarded to facilities that implement and adhere to criteria related to energy and water consumption, waste management and use of environmentally friendly products of personal hygiene and detergents, the quality of food and drinks, development of green areas in open spaces and environmental education.

The programme runs under the auspices of the Commissioner of the Environment of the Republic of Cyprus. To this date the eco-label has been awarded to the Commissioner for the Environment Office, to 4 shipping companies (Columbia, Intership, Lemissoler and Interorient), to 21 branches of Hellenic Bank, Staroil and to The Best Cleaning Company.

Needless to say, all the above activities are achieved with the endless enthusiasm and constant effort of our Secretary General Dr. Michael Ierides, the CYMEPA team and our Board Members.             

For more information visit www.cymepa.net

* The article was published on Shipping Magazine - September 2015 issue - Special Survey: Maritime Cyprus 2015