Urgent action a must to keep Aegean clean
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Doğan News Agency
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Nisan 13, 2009 00:00
MUĞLA - The Marmaris Coast Guard commander has called on the Muğla Governorship to take measures against boats that are discharging waste into the sea and some sailing under foreign flags that are suspected of artifact smuggling.
Speaking at a yacht coordination meeting set up to improve boating tourism, the commander of the Marmaris Coast Guard, Süleyman Ercan, said they have seen rapid increases in ocean pollution and have observed that the private sector is not always acting according to the rules.
Coast Guard observations show that "most yachts are not acting according to the bilge discharge rule" covering the release of waste into the water, Ercan said, adding that it was difficult to determine the exact source of pollution seen in the marinas because there are so many yachts. "For that reason, people infringing the rules may not be punished. We believe that marina authorities should be held responsible for pollution," he said, adding that, "Some yachts are also anchoring in the areas forbidden to divers, which creates a risk of artifact smuggling. Considering all this, urgent measures should be taken."
Coast Guard observations show that "most yachts are not acting according to the bilge discharge rule" covering the release of waste into the water, Ercan said, adding that it was difficult to determine the exact source of pollution seen in the marinas because there are so many yachts. "For that reason, people infringing the rules may not be punished. We believe that marina authorities should be held responsible for pollution," he said, adding that, "Some yachts are also anchoring in the areas forbidden to divers, which creates a risk of artifact smuggling. Considering all this, urgent measures should be taken."