Studies on the presence of Mediterranean monk seal and its habitats completed within Gökova ICMM Project funded by BBI Matra funds.

Research studies on Mediterranean monk seal and its habitats accomplished within the Gökova SEPA located in Gökova Gulf covering whole area between the dates of 4 to 9 May 2010.

Cem Orkun Kıraç and Project Manager Nesimi Ozan Veryeri from SAD-AFAG research team, free diver Erkin Tonguc and Can Görgün, the chairman of Akyaka Fishery Coop., who has wide experience on the area, participated in the surveys. The studies initiated from the northern border of 207 km long Gökova Special Environmental Protection Area, performed to cover entire Gökova SEPA region and the islands. Fieldwork was carried out using 8,5 m long fishing boat navigating at low speed. Potential habitats of Mediterranean monk seal in the Gökova Gulf are revealed and distinctive and impressive new information obtained about the coastal and marine areas. Breeding habitats of Mediterranean monk seals have been identified and an adult female Mediterranean monk seal was found and photographed in the bottom of a deep cave. Female adult individual, whom found in a cave around Akyaka- Ören in the northern side of the gulf, was also recorded with video camera.

As a result of literature review, field survey and habitat research studies since January 2009, it’s revealed that whole Gökova SEPA region covers important coastal habitats for the Mediterranean monk seal. As known, Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus) is an endangered species worldwide and in CR category, critically endangered, according to the IUCN criteria. Monachus monachus has around 600 members in the world, and it’s representing with 100 individuals in our country. Mediterranean monk seal can be found mainly in untouched and pristine coasts of the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas but unfortunately no longer exist in the Black Sea. These rare marine mammals and the pristine shores as its habitats are under protection by the Bern, Barcelona, CITES and Landscape conventions to which our country is also party.

Interviews and one-to-one intelligence studies on the factors threatening presence of Mediterranean monk seal and its habitats will continue to be carried out during the summer 2010 with the fishermen operating in the region all year round. The data derived about the presence of Mediterranean monk seal and its habitats will shed light on the draft management plan to be prepared for the Gökova SEPA Region in cooperation among SAD-AFAG, local NGOs, EPASA, MARA and other professional stakeholders.

Avifauna studies are carried out at full steam in Gökova Bay within the context of SAD-AFAG Gökova ICMM Project funded by BBI Matra.

Cem Orkuna Kıraç and N. Ozan Veryeri  from Underwater Research Society, Kasım Kırlangıç  from METU Bird Watching  Group and Ayşegül Dursun  from Hacettepe Bird Watching Group carried out the avifauna studies  between 13 and 18 February 2010 Along the coasts and coastal wetlands within Gökova SEPA Region and performed the monitoring and reporting activities.  Also in April, three-day field study performed between the dates of 16-17-18 April 2010 to explore breeding birds of the region in addition.

Both spot observations from the stations and transect observations by following a certain line were carried out in the bird-watching studies representing entire coast line of the Gökova SEPA Region. All birds observed during the studies identified visually with the help of binoculars and recorded by telephoto lens. Within the bird-watching studies conducted, some species were observed and photographed for the first time along the Gökova Bay such as highly-likely breeding a couple of Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) , Caspian Tern (Sterna Caspian), Rüppell’s Warbler (Sylvia rueppelli) and Bonelli’s Eagle (Hieraaetus fasciatus). So far a total of 90 species of birds were defined in field studies. According the data obtained from the prior field studies in the region, approximately 150 bird species have been found to be living in the beach, sea and islands of Gökova. The most important bird habitats in the region are the plains in the eastern edge of Gökova Gulf mainly comprise of sand dunes and wetlands, especially artificial breakwater and coastal line in Çalca Hill (a pair of osprey is seen while feeding on the area), all river branches and their estuaries, pristine and uninhabited rocky coastal areas sheltering common shags.

Studies are held in different habitats and at least in 20 different locations to cover entire Gökova Special Environmental Protected Area. The entire project area is divided standard 1×1 km grids by the project GIS expert. Observations in each fieldwork were entered in the database as separate data together with the codes of 1 km2 scaled grids.  Thus it’s possible to perform comprehensive analysis according to time, space and species. As for this will serve as an important scientific base for the planners in order to protect natural values and keep them for the future generations and planning integrated coastal and marine areas in Gökova. As a result of the studies driven, effects of human activities on bird breeding areas and birds will be quantitatively and spatially understood.

Muammer Aşan, the director of Sporkent 1 Building Complex and Üstün Mavi, care-taker of the site saw a corpse on the sea in the Yalıkavak Kızılburun region, coast of in Bodrum Peninsula on the date of April 21, 2010 while walking around the site and realized it belongs to a Mediterranean Monk Seal and pulled the corpse with own means to the beach.  They called immediately Yalıkavak Municipality and SAD-AFAG representative veterinarian Fulya Massozi.  Fulya Massozi contacted with SAD-AFAG AFBIKA team and she arrived in the area around 19:00 PM with the corporation of Yalıkavak Municipality and performed first examination on the death seal together with municipality constabulary officers in the beach.  Afterwards seal corpse carried to Yalıkavak center with municipality vehicle to make further examinations.

In consequence of the necropsy performed in veterinary clinic in Yalıkavak, it’s determined that seal is shot by three firearms  in the right shoulder, multiple ribs and it right shoulder bone are broken, large blood accumulation occurs in chest cavity and internal bleeding cause the death. One rifle bullet and many small sized pellets found in the inner parts of the seal in the detailed examinations within necropsy. In other words, it’s understood that seal was shot several times before it’s found,  probably in different places, and shot by small pellets apart from the shot (rifle bullet) cause the death of seal.

Mediterranean monk seal shot intentionally in the sea- likely from a boat- was a pubescent (the period before becoming an adult) member and had around 150 kg weight. Fulya Massozi, Yalıkavak representative of SAD-AFAG, indicate that the seal was a very healthy member of its kind and doesn’t found any other diseases.

According to the national legislation, Mediterranean monk seals are among strictly protected species and shooting has 10.000 TL fine. However SAD-AFAG, carrying non-stop studies on Mediterranean monk seals and their habitats since 1987, hasn’t witnessed any incidents that Mediterranean monk seal murderers are caught or anybody punished for these actions in Turkey. Although Mediterranean monk seals are under protection with Bern and Barcelona Conventions concerning also Turkey as a party with all protocols, any effective precautions couldn’t been taken against the intentional murdering incidents. The ideal solution to reduce such deliberate killings is to develop sustainable fishery policies based on scientific studies, assure implementation and control of illegal trawl, purse-seiners, spear fishing, dynamite fishing and basket fishing instead of making searches for the shooters. Deliberate killing of seals will be decreased in case of rivalry among the coastal fishermen and monk seal as a result of the increase in fish stocks in the seas.

The primary reason causing extinction of Mediterranean monk seal is actually coastal development. Concreted coasts and coastal roads are primary elements that prevent breeding of monk seals by destroying their homes, natural coastal habitats. These rare marine mammals living dependently on the coasts- resting, breeding and raising and feedings its puppies in the caves, certainly need scarce and intact coasts and coastal caves. Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Environmental Protection Agency for Special Areas, Ministry of Public Works, Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Municipalities have to consider this factor carrying coastal plans and constructional works. Additionally it’s definite that coastal constructions and new road opening works are undeniable causes of irreversible coastal losses and natural area destructions. SAD-AFAG and National Monk Seal Comity is ready to provide most actual and accurate data to planners in case of  consultancy is required about coastal development planning including new road planning.

© 2010 SAD-AFAG C.O.Kıraç

As part of the “Gökova Integrated Coastal and Marine Management Project” executed by SAD- AFAG and RUBICON Foundation with the co-operation of EPASA and MARA, the questionnaire work has been held to local main stakeholders  between 21th and 24th March by SAD-AFAG team comrising N.Ozan Veryeri, Semiha Demirbaş, Denizcan Durgun, Ayhan Tonguç and Mustafa Ateş.

The questions of survey were prepared by N. Ozan Veryeri, Assist. Prof. Vahdet Ünal, Bahar Suseven, Ayhan Toprak, Gökhan Kaboğlu, Semiha Demirbaş and Cem O. Kıraç. The target occupational groups are fishermen, tourism employees, excursion boat tours, yatchers and farmers.The survey were applied totally 116 losal participant with those details; Tourism(38), Boat tours(15), Fishermen(28) and Farmer(35), mainly in Akyaka, Gökova and also Gökçe, Turnalı, Akbük, Çamlı, Akçapınar, Bucak, Okulyanı, Ovacık and Karaca settlements. The sectoral state and problems of fishery, the relation between nature conservation and EPASA, the fishing species amount and declining fish species which have high economic values were determined with the previous questionnarie work that has been done under the title of “fishery management”with all of the coastal fishermen(100 fishermen from 3 fishery cooperatives). Within this survey fishermen reply some other questions. Yatchers are the only stakeholder group that can not be reached within this field study since they are not available in the region in this season. The survey related to the yatchers will be held in the summer period. And the questionnarie will be risen up to 150 in number.

The aims of the survey are to categorise the problems of stakeholders, to determine the capacity and density of the services, to describe the relation of EPASA, how they percieve natural processes and which facility creates risk accoring to their view and to collect their previsions for development. Gökova Integrated Marine and Coastal Zone Management Project will improve with these infomations.

The areas of the services were pointed in the map by all of the participants to deteremine the land use density and distribution. This data will be located in GIS and used in analysis with other associated data. The survey questions which examine the perception, relation and proposal of the individual, are unstructured questions why the individuals are kindly asked their opinions.

We thank to all of the participants for taking their time and Bahar Suseven and GAS-Der for their contributions to designing and implementing the questionnaries.