Page 12 - Zero Waste - November 2024

12 NEWS

169 Thousand 972
169 Thousand 972

Sea Turtles Under
Sea Turtles Under

Ministerial Protection
Ministerial Protection

Have Reached The Sea eached The Sea
Have R

169 thousand Environmental Protection
Zones managed by the General
972 sea turtles Directorate for Protection of
in 4 thousand Natural Assets that operates
under the Ministry of
488 nests on 5 Environment, Urbanization
and Climate Change. Since
beaches within 1989, there have been efforts
in Türkiye to protect and
the borders increase the population of sea
turtles, which are in danger of
of “Special extinction.

Environmental Göksu Delta Hosts

Protection Zones” Two Species
(SEPZ) managed There are 8 different species of

by the Ministry sea turtles in the world. Of them,

of Environment, 2 lay their eggs on the beaches which takes about 1.5- 2 months, The Highest cause this is the highest number
along the Mediterranean Sea.
Göksu Delta, which is in Silifke, is over, the hatchlings are moni- Number of of hatchlings we have observed
Urbanization and Mersin, is one of the biggest tored as they head to the sea. Hatchlings in in recent years. The important
Climate Change hatching areas in the region. Mr. Kurum: We the 5 Special point is that an average of 4 sea
turtles out of the 1000 that enter
Göksu Delta is home to Caretta
reached the sea as Caretta and Chelonia Mydas have protected Environmental the sea can reach maturity and
come back to the beach where
(green sea turtles), and their
of September 2. hatchlings head straight to the and followed them Protection they were born to reproduce.”
sea from the delta. Göksu Delta every single day Beaches
Murat Kurum, the Minister of is also one of the most important “A Source of Honor
Environment, Urbanization and Ramsar sites in Türkiye. Minister Kurum shared the pic- Mustafa Uzun, Head of the for Türkiye”
Climate Changes shared the tures of the nests on Göksu Del- Department of Special Envi-
pictures of hatchlings leaving Ministerial Protec- ta, which is within the Special ronmental Protection Zones
their nests under protection with tion from the Nest Environmental Protection Zone. under the General Director- Dr. Mustafa Kormaz, who works
the note “The tiny hatchlings to the Sea He shared a video showing the ate for Protection of Natural at the Institute of Marine Scienc-
of the Mediterranean are Caretta Caretta and Chelonia Assets explained that this year is es at METU, said, “This is one of
the most long-term conservation
marked by the highest number
Mydas hatchlings leaving their
embarking on their life From May to August, adult sea nests along with the post: “We of hatchlings: projects in Türkiye. This project
journey”. turtles come to the beaches late have protected and followed “According to the data taken is a source of honor for our
at night to dig holes and make them every single day. Now it is from our 5 Special Environmen- country as it is a longitudinal
21 beaches where sea turtles lay nests, where they lay their eggs. time to wish them a safe journey. tal Protection Zones, this year project that involves uninter-
their eggs are under protection These nests are being caged The tiny hatchlings of the Med- we have had 4 thousand 888 rupted data monitoring. It is an
in Türkiye. The beaches are within the framework of the iterranean are embarking on nests. As of September 2, 169
located in Köyceğiz–Dalyan, “Project on the Conservation their life journey”. thousand 972 hatchlings have important study not only for the
Fethiye–Göcek, Patara, Belek and Monitoring of Sea Turtles”. left these nests and reached the scientific community but also for
and Göksu Delta, the Special Once the incubation process, sea. This made us very happy be- our country.”

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