Marmara Sea’s mucilage problem will be over in three years: Minister

ANKARA

Necessary actions will be taken, including the implementation of the Strategic Plan, and those work will be completed in three years with a vision to end the mucilage problem in the Marmara Sea, Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum has said.

Mucilage, the thick and slimy substance made up of compounds released by marine organisms that surfaced in the Marmara Sea in late May, invaded a large area in June, alarming marine biologists, environmentalists and eventually officials.

The 22-article Marmara Sea Action Plan, unveiled in June, includes steps to be taken in short, medium and long-terms while 18 strategic targets were put forward in a coordination board meeting,” Kurum said on Nov. 16 in an online meeting on mucilage.

“In the field, we are taking swift steps to put the Strategic Plan in action C. We are going to complete all work in three years. When all done, there will be no mucilage problem in the Marmara Sea,” he assured.

Several factors, such as rising sea temperature due to climate change and pollution in the sea, cause mucilage to form in the Marmara Sea, the minister recalled. “Our task was to eliminate the sources of this pollution. We worked 24/7 and collected 11,000 tons of mucilage.”

There are 70 organized industrial zones in seven provinces around the Marmara Sea basin, Kurum said, noting that the wastewater from 44 of those industrial zones are directly or indirectly discharged into the sea.

“We are constantly monitoring 264 facilities and have conducted inspections at all those industrial zones.”