11.4 Land and water management

Most lagoons along the Turkish coastline would benefit from some rehabilitation intervention. For a large number of lagoons (51, covering 56 percent of the total surface) the pace of their environmental degradation and the importance of preserving the existing activities, as well as their rich wildlife, suggest that rehabilitation measures are not only necessary, but indeed pressing.

However, in recent years, due to the development of touristic facilities, unconscious and uncontrolled utilization, disposal of industrial and domestic wastes into the lagoons and siltation, many lagoons are not utilizable. The majority of irrigation systems which were and are being constructed are in the productive deltas where there are large lagoons as well. Besides this, for the lack of environmental awareness, lagoons have become discharge places for waste and polluted waters.
The enhancement of traditional fishing and the introduction of sustainable aquaculture practices is one of the most powerful means for preserving the lagoon environment from major damage while making a renewable use of the available resources.

Turkey has 72 lagoons along the 8 333 km long coastline. The main activity is traditional fishing, which is carried out in 43 lagoons, representing 64 percent of the total surface. Different types of nature and wildlife protection have been declared for an outstanding 83 percent of the lagoon surface, amounting to 23 water bodies. However, the ban of traditional fishing in protected areas is not fully enforced.
The Turkish Government is giving a preference to protect and rehabilitate the lagoons. For this reason, most of the lagoons are under the Government’s protection. At the same time, the Government would like to increase lagoon fisheries production by using the best lagoon management models.