Fethiye gets academic aid

A research collaboration by students and academics from various Turkish universities is Fethiye’s local environmentalists’ latest hope in their struggle to preserve the town’s wetlands.

The group, who will produce a bio-diversity and environmental report, will monitor Fethiye’s rich bird life. The report will later be submitted to the relevant authorities and will hopefully protect these important areas.

On Nov.15, 55 representatives from various universities in Turkey will come to Fethiye to undertake a two-day bird watching program. The group that includes 45 students and 10 teaching staff will be from biology and ornithology faculties and will visit three key areas to study the numbers, species and habits of the many kind of birds that visit Fethiye’s unique habitat in the latter part of the year.

The areas concerned are, the Bird Paradise in Çalış, Ak Göl (Kara Ot) near Yanıklar and an area of wetland opposite Fethiye’s state hospital. All three areas are under threat from speculators, businessmen and developers and not least the government. It is hoped that the work of the academics will go someway to draw the attention of the Environmental and Forestry Ministry and lead to their protection.

So far various previous attempts have not looked too promising. The Bird Paradise has already had a restaurant built on it that has led to damaging light, noise and waste pollution. It is all too often used as a rubbish dump by thoughtless passersby and it has been encroached upon by buildings in recent years. Local activists are in an ongoing battle with the municipality and a public apathy to protect this important area.

Shipyard on wetlands

The beautiful and diverse area of Kara Ot, in which Ak Göl provides an incredibly rich environment for wildlife, is earmarked by the Fethiye Municipality to become the town’s shipyard and a new marina. Behind the peaceful lake are many ambergris trees that are especially important to the area. Once again it has been used to dump rubbish and little has been done to protect it from the actions of those who only see this area as an opportunity to further fill their coffers, despite its being a first class protected area according to the Ministry of the Environment.

Lastly, the wetland opposite the hospital (and incidentally the Justice Department) is one of the few remaining areas of reed bed, which once covered the whole of the area, which is now Fethiye. This once provided an important area for wildlife and migrating birds. It also was essential in filtering the water than came down from the mountains. Its loss has without doubt damaged the coast, which has become progressively silted up and polluted over the last 10 to 15 years. Once home to otters, fresh water terrapins and many species of frog and snake, this remaining area now symbolizes a last battle of nature against concrete.

It is to be hoped that the universities will be able to gather the information they need to convince the government that the long-term damage to these areas far outweighs the short-term benefits of destroying them.

Anyone wanting more information is welcome to email: fetav48@googlegroups.com