Monk seal project: overview
Patrolling for illegal fishing activities, Aydincik, Turkey.
Turkey's fishermen: guardians of the monk seals
In Turkey, Mediterranean monk seals are suffering from loss of habitat and lack of food. To counter this, WWF and Turkish NGO SAD-AFAG (The Underwater Research Society - Mediterranean Seal Research Group) are working closely with local fishermen to both protect monk seal breeding caves and to increase fish stocks by creating no-fishing zones and patrolling against illegal fishing activities. This not only helps the seals - the fishermen are also benefiting.
The project has six main areas:
The work is currently being carried out in two sites along the Turkish Mediterranean coast: the outer Gulf of Izmir in the Aegean Sea (Foça and Karaburun) and the Cilician Basin in the Mediterranean Sea (Aydincik, Melleç, and Kizilliman).
The project has been extremely successful - the fishermen not only now have more stable incomes through fisheries cooperatives, but fish stocks are improving and illegal fishing is declining. Monk seal breeding caves have been protected, and the fishermen have become their guardians, patrolling against activities that may harm the animals.
WWF also works on monk seal conservation in Greece and Mauritania.
- Helping local fishermen to form cooperatives.
- Establishing no-fishing zones around monk seal breeding caves.
- Fighting illegal fishing activities.
- Monitoring monk seals.
- Monitoring the recovery of fish stocks.
- Increasing public awareness of monk seal conservation.
The work is currently being carried out in two sites along the Turkish Mediterranean coast: the outer Gulf of Izmir in the Aegean Sea (Foça and Karaburun) and the Cilician Basin in the Mediterranean Sea (Aydincik, Melleç, and Kizilliman).
The project has been extremely successful - the fishermen not only now have more stable incomes through fisheries cooperatives, but fish stocks are improving and illegal fishing is declining. Monk seal breeding caves have been protected, and the fishermen have become their guardians, patrolling against activities that may harm the animals.
WWF also works on monk seal conservation in Greece and Mauritania.
More information
- SAD-AFAG website
Contact
-
WWF MEDPO,
Rome MainVia Po 25/c 00198 Rome
Italy
+39 06 844 97227
+39 06 841 3866
Contact
SAD-AFAG
P.K. 420 Yenisehir
06444 Ankara
Turkey
Tel.: +90 312 213 0834
Fax: +90 312 213 8934
E-mail: info@afag.org
P.K. 420 Yenisehir
06444 Ankara
Turkey
Tel.: +90 312 213 0834
Fax: +90 312 213 8934
E-mail: info@afag.org