One of Paphos' well known and established attractions has closed its doors to visitors for the last time.

Paphos Aquarium Chairman Takis Tsiolis said that the business was no longer viable.

‘We have been losing money hand over fist for the last two years and we can no longer sustain these kinds of losses. It's a very sad situation.'

Fourteen years after it opened in Paphos at an initial cost of half a million Cyprus pounds, the aquarium closed on March 1st.

The aquarium was privately owned and had proved popular with visitors since it opened in 1996.Tsolis underlined that a large amount of money had been invested in creating a natural environment for fish and marine life from oceans, seas and rivers, which lived in the specially designed and filtered tanks.

Along with a crocodile tank, seventy-two other tanks held many types of creatures.

Tsiolis said, ‘Most of the aquariums in other places are supported by the municipalities or the authorities, but we are a private family run company. We have asked for help from the mayor and the municipality and other bodies, but no one came forward to help us.'

The Paphos businessman said he presented a tender for the En Plo gallery, which is situated in the harbour area of Kato Paphos two years ago.
‘That would have been a perfect solution for us, he commented. ‘The port authority gave us the tender but the municipality refused to grant the licence, they didn't give us a reason,' he said.

According to Tsiolis, this blow along with a decline in holiday makers to Paphos, which is reliant on tourism, along with continuous construction projects have meant that visitor numbers have dwindled.

‘Poor access to the aquarium finished us off,' said Tsiolis.

As well as a huge collection of fish and other sea creatures, the aquarium was also home to a number of sharks and crocodiles. More than eighty per cent of the animals have already been sold to private buyers and a number will now be on show at the Ocean Aquarium in Ayia Napa.