Thanks to the fight launched by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry against stray fishing gear, described as "ghost hunters", which threaten the aquatic ecosystem in the sea and inland waters and cause environmental pollution, 1,7 million aquatic creatures were saved.
Fishing gears that are broken, lost or abandoned during hunting in sea and inland waters sometimes threaten the ecosystem as "ghost hunters" for years.
Ghost hunters create hunting pressure and negatively affect the shelter and nutrition of aquatic creatures, cause economic damage, deterioration of migration routes and habitats, damage to endangered species and environmental pollution.
The effects of ghost fishing gear on the aquatic ecosystem differ according to their type. According to scientific studies, mostly synthetic nets can last up to 8-10 years, wooden traps up to 2 months, chemically treated ones up to 2 years, traps with iron and stainless steel skeletons and vinyl-coated mesh eyes up to 10-15 years, and plastic traps up to 30 years. can continue.
CAUSES SERIOUS DAMAGES TO THE AQUACUL ECOSYSTEM
Fishing nets, which are forbidden to use among these tools, damage all kinds of living stocks due to their low selectivity and high catch amount. Fishing nets, which are used illegally due to the material from which they are produced, remain intact in nature for many years, causing serious damage to the aquatic ecosystem.
According to scientific studies, 100 marine organisms such as fish, turtles and crustaceans die by being caught in every 309 meters of mail net that is lost until it becomes dysfunctional.
These animal deaths cause damage to biodiversity and the environment, and the loss of a significant amount of aquatic products without gaining economic value.
In addition, the nets, mostly made of synthetic materials, break down and dissolve in the aquatic ecosystem, causing microplastic pollution.
96 MILLION SQUARE METERS ARE SCANNED
The Ministry is carrying out the "Cleaning the Seas from Abandoned Hunting Vehicles Project" in order to rid the seas and inland waters of ghost hunters.
With the project, the points where ghost networks are important or dense in terms of biodiversity are determined. Cleaning works are carried out every year within the scope of this program.
The project is also being carried out in the marine area within the borders of Ayvalık district of Balikesir, where red corals, whose hunting is prohibited, are concentrated in the country.
With the work, the ghost nets covering the red corals were cleaned, the reefs were prevented from disappearing and the ecosystem was revitalized.
Within the scope of the project, approximately 96 million square meters of area have been swept across the country so far, with 545 thousand square meters of net, 24 thousand baskets, algae and similar unclaimed fishing gear have been cleared from the waters. Some of the removed nets were recycled.
As a result of the studies, according to scientific data, approximately 1,7 million aquatic creatures were prevented from being destroyed by ghost hunters.
Some of the extracted nets were delivered to municipalities and some to regional farmers to be used in areas that would not harm the environment.
REGIONS WHERE THE PROJECT IS APPLIED
The project was carried out in Hatay, Adana, Mersin, Antalya, Muğla, Aydın, İzmir, Balıkesir, Tekirdağ, Çanakkale, Bursa, Kocaeli, İstanbul, Yalova, Sakarya, Sinop, Konya, Isparta and Ankara.
Project works carried out in sea, lake and dam lakes will continue in the rivers in Diyarbakır, Batman, Muş, Bitlis, Şırnak, Adıyaman, Van, Malatya, Gaziantep, Ağrı, Elazığ, Erzurum and Şanlıurfa within this year's program.
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