11.6 Interactions among aquaculture, capture fisheries and the environment in coastal lagoon management

Almost all lagoons in Turkey are owned by the State, which rents them to fishers ' cooperatives and private companies for periods from a minimum of three years, to a maximum of 15, depending on the presentation of fishery development projects. The renting fee is highly variable and indexed to the inflation rate, a mechanism which, apparently unconnected to actual production levels, results in large discrepancies among lagoons.

Cattle grazing is mainly practiced in the Black Sea lagoons and Bafra in particular, where a large wetland is currently exploited as a wet pasture for about 12 000 cattle and water buffalo during the dry season. Elsewhere in Turkey, this practice seems to have lost importance.
Reed harvesting is a locally common activity that produces for both the domestic market (building materials) and for exports (France and Germany mainly). A typical characteristic is the demand for reeds, which takes place every spring with the need to rebuild the traditional fishing installations at the lagoon mouths.

Different types of nature and wildlife protection have been declared for as much as 83 percent of the lagoon surface, amounting to 23 water bodies. However, as shown by the figures on hunting recorded in 32 lagoons, the ban on this activity in protected areas is not fully enforced. The most effective protection is given by a “national park” or “specially protected area” status, which sets rigid limits for human activities according to their subdivision in fully protected zones and buffer zones.
The unexploited lagoons account for only 5 percent of the overall surface. However, 70 percent of these – which are today abandoned – hosted a productive fishery industry until only recently, an indication of a dangerous trend threatening their conservation.
Some larger lagoons are also used by local universities for basic and applied research as well as, to a much lesser extent, for student training.
The traditional fishery is being used where wildlife and other natural characteristics do not require priority and where more sophisticated fishery management forms cannot be applied for economic reasons. In general, traditional fishery also has a limited impact on the environment and on wildlife.
The present practice could be upgraded by improving the fixed capture devices (“kuzuluk”) and the fish juvenile stocking management. More selective fishing practices that prevent the killing of undersized fish should be adopted.
This management model is either already practiced in, or proposed for, those water bodies whose size and poor accessibility barely justify costly interventions: Ahubaba Golleri, the Misakca lagoon complex, the Karabiga lagoons; Catal Azmak Golleri, Kumkale lagoon, Diremli Azmag?, Alibey Dalyani, Zeytindag Dalyani, Rauf Pasa Dalyani, Cakal Burnu Dalyani, Gebekilise Goleti, Gulluk Dalyani, Tuzla lagoon and Dipsiz Dalyani.
According to the Circular of Recreational Fisheries in Sea, people who have the Amateur Fisherman Certificate can catch maximum 2 kg or 10 fish during fishing season.
There is no important conflict with commercial and recreational fishing activities.
There is no direct interaction among different fishers groups. Sometimes, fisheries cooperatives complain to seine netting fishers who fish just in front of the mouths of lagoons.
In the sea, there can be competition and conflicts between aquaculture and other coastal sectors such as tourism, urbanization, recreation, maritime and environmental protection.
Most of the lagoons are under protection, and authorities are not given permission to establish fish farms in the protected lagoons. There are a few aquaculture facilities surrounding the lagoons.
Fish and other seafood are generally consumed in the local markets and restaurants. The price is higher than aquaculture products. There is no competition and conflict between lagoon products and other aquaculture and capture fishery products because of the small amounts of lagoon production.
The Ministry of Food Agriculture and Livestock prohibited collecting juveniles in the wild for aquaculture purposes since 2000.
There are no fish farms and restocking activities in the lagoons and therefore no risk for genetic impact or escape on wild stocks and no risk for desease spreading.
Turkey is of great importance for migrating birds. Many pass the country and rest here on their way from and to their African winter quarters. In particular, river deltas with lagoons serve as first stop-over sites after a long and exhausting flight over the sea and provide undisturbed resting places for the migrants to prepare for their further journey; 441 species of birds have been recorded and 315 of them breed in the country or are supposed to breed. There is no significant impact of ichthyophagous birds on Turkish lagoons fish populations.