Habitat at risk as Ukrainians crowd river seeking respite from war

Record ID: 1736348

  • Title: Habitat at risk as Ukrainians crowd river seeking respite from war
  • Date: 1st August 2023
  • Summary: TYLIHUL ESTUARY, MYKOLAIV REGION, UKRAINE (JULY 30, 2023) (REUTERS) (MUTE) VARIOUS OF DRONE VIDEO SHOWING SPIT PACKED WITH CARS, TENTS, SUN UMBRELLAS AND HOLIDAYMAKERS FIELD ON SPIT GARBAGE AMONG PLANTS IN FIELD DUCKS SWIMMING IN WATER CARS DRIVING ACROSS SPIT TRASH BINS CROWD OF HOLIDAYMAKERS RESTING ON BEACH MOTOR BOAT PULLING TOWABLE BANANA BOAT PEOPLE RIDING PADDLEBOAT (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) DEPUTY HEAD OF MYKOLAIV DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ECOLOGY, INNA TYMCHENKO, SAYING: “The main problem here is not tourists themselves, but their cars and tents. They are placed in chaotic order, tourists don’t know where it is alright to leave a car and where it is not, so they park wherever they want. That’s how vegetation cover is being destroyed. Noise affects the birds. They partially got used to the noise, but loud noises are unusual for them this year. It will lead to grave consequences in this area.” (MUTE) VARIOUS OF DRONE VIDEO SHOWING SPIT PACKED WITH CARS, TENTS AND SUN UMBRELLAS HOLIDAYMAKERS RESTING ON BEACH VARIOUS OF PEOPLE SWIMMING (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) LOCAL RESIDENT, PETRO KALINCHUK, SAYING: “There are two sides of a coin. On one hand, we understand that there is no access to the sea and people still want to relax somewhere. On the other hand, we know that estuary will not survive such amount of people. First of all, garbage disposal was not organised, there are no toilets here.” VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING IN SHALLOW WATERS (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) LOCAL RESIDENT, PETRO KALINCHUK, SAYING: “We have been coming here since 1974 and we know that many birds used to nest here. They nested on the sand and people did not bother them as there were just a few of them (people). Today, there are no birds and a lot of fish disappeared for an unknown reason.” SEASHORE COVERED WITH SEA GRASS, SUN BEDS AND CARS NEAR WATER JET SKI TOWING INFLATABLE BOAT KITE SURFERS HOLIDAYMAKERS (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) LOCAL RESIDENT, VIACHESLAV NATALENKO, SAYING: “Access to the rivers and the sea is closed. So this is the only place where we can relax after two years of war against Russia.” MYKOLAIV, UKRAINE (JULY 30, 2023) (REUTERS) SIGN READING (Ukrainian): “SWIMMING IS FORBIDDEN” SOME PEOPLE SUNBATHING AND SWIMMING AT BEACH WATER MAN WALKING ALONG BEACH
  • Embargoed: 15th August 2023 10:44
  • Keywords: Mykolaiv region Tylihul estuary ecology mines beaches war in Ukraine
  • Location: TYLIHUL ESTUARY, MYKOLAIV REGION AND MYKOLAIV, UKRAINE
  • City: TYLIHUL ESTUARY, MYKOLAIV REGION AND MYKOLAIV, UKRAINE
  • Country: Ukraine
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Europe,Military Conflicts
  • Reuters ID: LVA001120931072023RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Kite surfers bounce along the gentle waves. A jet ski pulls an inflatable raft. Families soak up sunshine on a narrow beach.
    With most of Ukraine's Black Sea Coast either occupied by Russian troops or in their line of fire, families seeking respite from life in a war zone are flocking to the inland shores of the Tylihul, a river that widens into a broad estuary bordered by grassland.
    In the summer sunshine you could almost forget that the front line is a few hours drive away. Visitors say the respite is a desperately needed relief. But authorities and some residents worry that the crowds could damage an important and delicate natural habitat.
    Inna Tymchenko, deputy head of the Mykolaiv regional department of the National Institute of Ecology, said the problem was not so much the people as their tents and cars.
    There was hope that birds could find refuge here from the Kinburn Spit, a vast Black Sea nature preserve destroyed by flooding after the Kakhovska Dam on the Dnipro River was blown up nearly two months ago. More birds could die if there is no hospitable sanctuary for them here.
    But as long as the war goes on and there are few other places to rest, families say they will keep coming.
    (Production: Viktoriia Lakezina, Margaryta Chornokondratenko)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2023. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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