''From ghost Nets to zero waste" project makes strides in cleaning marine ecosystems

Implemented with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, local stakeholders including the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, Gebze Municipality, Chamber of Maritime Commerce, Eskihisar Aquaculture Cooperative, and Nefes Nature Sports, the 'From Ghost Nets to Zero Waste' project has been carried out. Since April 15, a total of 300,000 square meters of area between the Darıca and Eskihisar beaches have been surveyed. In the latest effort, 21,000 square meters of ghost nets were removed from the seabed, securing the populations of 75 species. With this year's cleanup, a total of 43,000 square meters of ghost nets have been cleared in the Gulf region, allowing 3 million fish to return to the sea. Commenting on the project, Mehmet Nuri Yılmaz, Deputy General Director of Fisheries and Aquaculture at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, stated that they enabled 3 million fish to live in the seas again. Yılmaz noted that they continue to combat ghost nets throughout Türkiye, saying, 'There is such a vibrant ecosystem under the sea, and they also have the right to live, but we end their lives with improper fishing and the abandonment of nets into the sea. As part of this project to clean ghost nets, we have conducted net surveys at 800 locations in Türkiye in recent years. We have removed 800,000 square meters of nets. A total of 170 million square meters of area have been thoroughly surveyed.' Levent Küçük, the Director of Agriculture and Forestry in the province, mentioned that this year's Gulf cleaning activities included a new ghost net removal effort in the region. Küçük stated that they previously removed 22,000 square meters of ghost nets and added, 'With the help of our divers, we have surveyed an area of 300,000 square meters and cleaned a total of 43,000 square meters of ghost nets. We have identified around 75 species of marine life in the İzmit Gulf. 50 of these species are subject to fishing. To maintain fishing and increase species, we are also planning artificial reef projects within the ministry for the Gulf.' Gebze Mayor Zinnur Büyükgöz shared that when they dived underwater with divers, they observed a different world. He emphasized that ghost nets, when thrown into the sea, lead to the end of lives, causing a reduction in oxygen areas and a decrease in fish diversity.