Local Agenda 21

The information booklet Local Agenda 21, published in 1997 by our foundation, has been sent to all district and town municipalities. Climate change, rising sea levels and possible negative impacts on our coasts were highlighted within the scope of Local Agenda 21. The booklet included main titles from United Nations Environment and Development Action Plan, and each local municipality’s legal and moral responsibility to prepare a Local Agenda 21 Action Plan to help future generations.

Local Agenda 21 booklet

Blue Flag for the Mariners

A series of seminars were organized between 7th and 28th of February, 1999, in Ataköy Marina within the framework of ‘Environmental Awareness Training for the Mariners Project’. Boat and yacht crews have been educated about the importance of marine conservation, necessary precautions against marine pollution and eventual consequences, as well as legal and environmental responsibilities falling on mariners.

Boat and yacht crews received a ‘Mariner Environmental Awareness Training Project Certificate’ at the end of the program with marine vessels employing these certified employees having the right to deploy the ‘Blue Flag’. An increase in ‘Blue Flag’ carrying marine vessels would mean an increase in environmentally-friendly and responsible mariners in our waters.

Blue Flag for Mariners’ participants

TUDAV-Club Patara Environmental Training Seminars

An environmental education seminar was held on 14 November 1999 with the support of Club Patara. A range of topics from Blue Flag practice within the Kaş-Kalkan Coastal Zone Protection Project to biodiversity and conservation of marine mammals were presented and the participants received certificates. TUDAV specialists have explained issues surrounding marine conservation to local fishermen, tourism workers, educational organizations and local NGO’s.

Opening of Club Patara Environmental Education Seminar

Blue School LIFE project

A Blue School was organized with Mobidik magazine within the framework of Ölüdeniz Lagoon and Environs Protection Action Plan – LIFE Project. A volunteer-driven event, the Blue School educated children from 10 to 16 years old in applied marine ecology and the environment. The popular program concluded with participants receiving certificates and the book ‘Our Seas’ in the closing ceremony.

Educational training for the LIFE project, participants’ certificates and educational book

‘Our Seas’, published within the LIFE project, explains the marine environment and current environmental problems using an age-appropriate language. This 24-page book is aimed at children and serves to raise awareness and love of oceans for future generations. 10,000 copies were published and distributed, free of charge, and 5000 elementary school students from the Fethiye region received training.

Fisheries Training Seminars

Through the cooperation of Sarıyer Municipality and TUDAV, the second of ‘Fisheries and Aquaculture Training Seminars’ began in Çayırbaşı, Gökkuşağı Education Centre on November 9th, 2012.

Important subjects ranging from sustainable fisheries to preventing extinction have been explored during the program that lasted two months. Aiming to create a conscious consumer profile through public culinary choices, 8 topics were explored; seasonal changes in the taste of fish, aquarium care and fish species, dragnet and trawl fisheries, characteristics of food additives, differences between fresh and old fish, potable water vs non-potable water, sustainable industrial fisheries, and marine pollution and raising water quality.

Some of the fisheries training seminar participants

Inflatable Marine Animals

Life-sized dolphin and whale models displayed since 1995 in schools, festivals, and other activities aimed at raising awareness, in various countries such as Australia, Iceland, UK, Germany, Chile and Borneo, came to Turkey. Many species living in Turkish waters such as whales, dolphins, sharks and sea turtles were displayed and reached more than 10,000 children at Gebze in 2012 and at malls in Istanbul and Eskisehir in 2013 alongside informational posters on marine conservation, pictures and coloring activities as well as workshops on saving stranded dolphins.

Photographs of the shopping mall housing inflatable marine animals and children taught

Winter School – Black Sea Watch Activities

A winter school for students of Istanbul was organized on 17-18 December 2016 in Black Sea Grand Şile Hotel within the framework of TUDAV’s ‘Black Sea marine environment research with public participation’ (Black Sea Watch) project. TUDAV experts talked about invasive species in the Black Sea and their impacts on local fauna, pollution, overfishing and marine litter. The students had the opportunity to further explore the topics of invasive species, threats and marine litter.

Black Sea Watch Şile Training

Final activity organized within the project took place at the Beykoz Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa Maritime and Aquaculture Vocational High school on 14 February 2017.

After getting theoretical knowledge about the Black Sea and factors that threaten it from the project team, the students were able to have hands-on practice by downloading the Black Sea Watch application.

Black Sea Watch trainings

Dolphin Watch Tours

Since its establishment, our foundation has been organizing dolphin watching tours in the Istanbul Strait, mostly for children, during spring time.  Characteristics and habitats of three species of dolphins living in the Istanbul Strait as well as potential dangers and existing threats are explained. Please call us if you’d like to know more about our May-July tours dolphin watching tours.

Participants and students in dolphin watch tours