Forests sprayed to deter pine beetles
THOUSANDS of hectares of forests have been sprayed with chemicals to protect them against pine beetles.
Forestry Department head Cemil Karzaoğlu said this week that the “biological spraying” was carried out against pine beetles based on a study carried out in August 2020.
Mr Karzaoğlu said that this year an area of 8,250 hectares has been sprayed with a helicopter, which required a “serious budget”.
The aim was “not to destroy the insects completely,” he said.
“We have successfully sprayed the insects,” Mr Karzaoğlu said, adding that the spraying was completed over a “20 to 25-day period”.
It is the fifth year in a row that the spraying has taken place, he pointed out, and that the pine beetle problem in the TRNC has been brought to “a controllable level” as a result.
Stating that spraying pine beetles is an expensive method, Mr Karzaoğlu continued: “The pine beetle is not only sprayed from the air. In our studies, we catch the males and females with traps and we prevent them from mating and reproducing.
“If any escape from the trap and mate, we collect the brood they spawn. When spraying, we start by using the mildest chemicals. If that does not work, the [strength] of the chemicals used is gradually increased.
“It is very costly and unnecessary to spray the whole country. . . It is unnecessary to spray all the insects anyway, because destroying 100 percent of the insects would be very controversial.
“We worked in the most effective places, at the right time, with the right chemicals that are licensed by Turkey and the European Union.
“These chemicals do not harm bees, other creatures and humans in any way. They are not harmful, as it has been claimed by some.”
Meanwhile figures released by Mr Karzaoğlu to mark March 22 International Day of Forests showed that the TRNC was placed a dismal 162nd out of 191 countries in terms of “forest assets”.
North Cyprus has lost its “Green Island” nickname due to drought, fires and “senseless” tree felling, Mr Karzaoğlu claimed.
As a response, some 45 million saplings have been planted in North Cyprus from 1975 to 2020, he added.