Nature and Culture Coexistence on the Aegean Coasts

The “Coexistence of Nature and Culture in Aegean Coasts of Turkey” workshop took place in Ankara on December 5-6, 2023. Stakeholders dedicated to researching and conserving marine ecosystems and small-scale fisheries (SSFs) in the Aegean region gathered to collaboratively identify urgent conservation and restoration priorities, aligning with ongoing efforts.

The workshop hosted 55 participants, comprising SSF cooperatives, NGOs, universities, decision-makers, UN representatives, donors, the private sector, and independent researchers.

Below comes the highlights of the workshop:

• We shared biodiversity data on priority species and areas that was mapped using GIS and identified further data needs.
• We presented SSF data gathered from 84 fishing cooperatives and the Turkish Statistical Institute, that was mapped as fishing grounds, gears, techniques, organisational and spatial capacity of cooperatives, socio-demographic structure, bans, fish farms and compiled further data suggestions.
• We reviewed and expanded data on conservation projects for protection of Aegean coastal and marine biodiversity and SSFs.
• Together with the participants,
  • We mapped area-specific threats to Aegean coastal and marine biodiversity and fisheries, by assessing impact, urgency, and reversibility with participant input.
  • We explored non-state actor solutions to address area-specific threats.
  • We graded the impacts of various factors within the project’s methodology to pinpoint priority areas for conservation.

We’re grateful to our collaborators since the project’s inception, including fishery cooperatives, conservation organisations, and universities.

You can access the full report (only in Turkish) of the workshop here.

On this page