Fish farms pollute sea even after moving out
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Doğan News Agency
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Temmuz 02, 2009 00:00
MİLAS - Fish farms are moving away from Güllük Bay, but they are leaving behind pollution.
A local governor said the farms had an obligation to leave their locations and that those that do not will be fined. The farms are viewed as the main source of environmental pollution in the Aegean bays.
Environmentalists and local politicians struggled for years to get fish farms in the Güllük Gulf on the southern Aegean coast of Turkey to relocate offshore, citing the coastal pollution they cause. As the fish farms are moving offshore, the pollution they created during production is replaced with the pollution caused by the equipment they leave behind.
The owners of the fish farms left behind fish cages, old nets and barrels they used. The beautiful bays located between the ancient city of Iasos and Didim look like garbage dump sites. Hermias Cove, a very popular cove that hosts daily tour boats and blue voyage vessels has turned into a place where farm animals pasture.
Fines on the way
Milas local head Şahin Arslan said he gave instructions to Güllük Municipality and the Local Agriculture Directorate for an immediate clean up of the coves.
"We cannot allow such scenes in a very popular tourist area," he said. "The contracts the state made with the fish farm owners clearly indicate that they should leave the place as it was once they move away. If they do not, they will be fined if necessary."
Environmentalists and local politicians struggled for years to get fish farms in the Güllük Gulf on the southern Aegean coast of Turkey to relocate offshore, citing the coastal pollution they cause. As the fish farms are moving offshore, the pollution they created during production is replaced with the pollution caused by the equipment they leave behind.
The owners of the fish farms left behind fish cages, old nets and barrels they used. The beautiful bays located between the ancient city of Iasos and Didim look like garbage dump sites. Hermias Cove, a very popular cove that hosts daily tour boats and blue voyage vessels has turned into a place where farm animals pasture.
Fines on the way
Milas local head Şahin Arslan said he gave instructions to Güllük Municipality and the Local Agriculture Directorate for an immediate clean up of the coves.
"We cannot allow such scenes in a very popular tourist area," he said. "The contracts the state made with the fish farm owners clearly indicate that they should leave the place as it was once they move away. If they do not, they will be fined if necessary."