Global Post
17 December 2013
Turkey’s careless approach to the environment may be striking at one of its most iconic industries.
Overfishing, increased pollution and damaging infrastructure projects are threatening the fishing business in Istanbul and around the country. At stake are supplies of natural resources, tens of thousands of local jobs, billions of dollars — and, for traditional net-fishermen, a centuries-old way of life.
“Time is passing so fast but there is no active involvement by the [Turkish] ministry of environment at present” to protect the traditional trade, said Bayram Ozturk, a professor with the faculty of fisheries at Istanbul University.
The Turkish ministry for the environment failed to respond to GlobalPost’s repeated invitations for comment.