Marine Turtle Conservation in the Mediterranean Implementation of Recommendation No. 66 (1998) on the conservation status of some nesting beaches for marine turtles in Turkey DESTRUCTION OF SEA TURTLE NESTING BEACHES IN FETHIYE SPA, TURKEY T‐PVS Bureau Meeting ‐ 11 April 2011 Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention)
April 4th 2011 MEDASSET ‐ The Mediterranean Association to Save the Sea Turtles
Following MEDASSET’s complaint submitted to the Bern Convention Secretariat in August 2009 regarding the destruction of nesting beaches at Fethiye SPA due to development to accommodate tourism that has resulted in a severe decline of nest numbers (discussed at the Bureau Meeting in Sept. 2009, T‐PVS (2009) 12), and MEDASSET’s updates submitted to the Secretariat in March and September 2010 (discussed at the 2010 Standing Committee Meeting: T‐PVS/Files (2010) 8 and T‐PVS (2010) 25), we wish to draw your attention to the below recent development that is severely threatening the “Specially Protected” nesting beaches in Fethiye: Relocation of the shipyard/drydock, currently situated within Fethiye town, to Akgöl nesting beach (aka Karaot District) seems to be imminent. Initially, the selected location of the new drydock was inland, just behind the nesting beach. Recently the location was changed to the very middle of the Akgöl nesting beach (Fig. 1). Although this specific beach section is covered with pebbles, therefore no nesting has been recorded, both ends of the beach do host nests. During 2007 ‐ 2009, two‐thirds of all nests in Akgöl were laid next to the planned project area, i.e. on the sandy sections of the beach. In 2010, there were 36 nests at Akgöl, equivalent to almost half of all nests (73) laid at the entire beach stretch (i.e Yaniklar and Akgöl combined). As mentioned in MEDASSET’s complaint (August 2009) and the update submitted in September 2010, the project would permanently and irrevocably destroy the key nesting sites of Akgöl beach and affect the adjacent wetland, one of the last remaining in the area. This project can only mean the industrialization of the area which will affect the already declining nest numbers in Fethiye SPA, increase human presence on the beach, lead to the construction of new roads accessing the beach, a whole complex of new buildings, major lighting installations, structures in the sea to draw boats in and out of the water, mooring installations, noise, oil, solvent and paint pollution. The project will adversely affect the entire remaining sea turtle population attempting to nest at Akgöl, Yaniklar and Calis beaches, as well as the hatchlings produced. In Fig. 1 the major extension of the project inland is striking. The planned construction of a huge jetty and dockage installations in front of the shipyard will cause severe light pollution and vessel traffic that will affect the nesting population and hatchlings. The jetty will inevitably change the water current and wave conditions, will lead to coastal erosion in the long term and may alter the structure of the entire beach, including the beach sections that still serve for nesting. Moreover, the facilities will effectively split this small beach in two, destroying its integrity. The above development, occurring within an important SPA, opposes modern integrated coastal management practices, is against all sea turtle conservation policies, laws and international Conventions and 1