GENERAL INFORMATION
 

Project title
 

INTRODUCTION OF STOCK ASSESSMENT TO THE FISHERIES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OF TURKEY

Priority area
 

Livestock and Food

Beneficiary

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

Co-Beneficiary
 

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs

Duration

Duration: 23 Months

Start: 19/03/2009

End: 14/02/2011

EU contribution (Euro)

€ 2,200,000

PROJECT SUMMARY

Brief description of the project and main objectives
 

Turkey has a long coastal line (8,333 km, Mediterranean, Aegean, Marmara Sea and Black Sea) and is one of the leading fishing countries in its region. Furthermore, the Turkish zone (National territorial waters plus exclusive economic zone) constitute a large part of the Black Sea waters. From the hundreds of fish species in these waters only 10-15 species have an economic importance.

At the time of designing the Project Fiche in 2007, Turkey lacked a fisheries policy governing ecological sustainability of resources. At the same time, available indicators showed declines in fish stocks caused mostly by over-fishing. The absence of research on stock assessment was hindering the application of an effective and sound management of fisheries in compliance with the principles specified in the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which relies primarily on the findings of stock assessment research. There was a general lack of information on the status of resources while the available data was neither accurate nor reliable. The lack of staff in numbers, of trained staff and the lack of research vessels were the main technical obstacles that prevented from conducting fish stock assessments.

Concerning the structural set-up, all fisheries activities (administration, regulation, protection, services on fishing, infrastructures, quality control, processing and marketing) were carried out by the relevant departments under the four Directorates-General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARA). At the time of project design, MARA did not have the institutional capability to effectively conduct fisheries research although, it managed four such research institutes. Neither of those institutions conducted routine stock assessment except some surveys on pelagic fishes, particularly of anchovy. Besides, universities or other research institutions did also not possess any modern vessels for fisheries or oceanographic research but few adopted/ old ones.

Turkey’s policy shift towards an ecosystem-based fisheries management required fundamental reforms. The institutional structure of MARA needed improvement that would allow applying a better harmonised regime of fisheries resource management. The introduction of new tools to the national management system was required, like limits to the totally allowed catch, operational management plans and restrictions on fishing.
 

Location

Achievements / expected outputs

Planned Results

Result 1: Framework conditions in place, with a road map, for the establishment of a sound integrated fisheries resource management

Result 2: Improved capacity of MARA for fish resource management