Fethiye launches Mediterranean’s largest environmental protection campaign

MUĞLA

Türkiye is launching what it describes as the Mediterranean’s largest environmental protection campaign in Fethiye, targeting the removal of millions of cubic meters of accumulated seabed sludge and the protection of the bay’s fragile marine ecosystem.

Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum said the campaign was designed to ensure that the region’s marine environment remains healthy for future generations. “We are launching the Mediterranean’s largest environmental protection campaign so that the blue of our seas reaches future generations,” Kurum said in a social media post outlining the initiative.

The project, implemented by the Turkish Environmental Agency (TÜÇA), will focus on Fethiye Bay, where extensive preparations are underway to remove accumulated seabed sediment. The operation is planned to cover approximately 600 hectares and will target 16,268,925 cubic meters of seabed sludge, which reaches depths of up to 2.7 meters in some areas.

Two dredging vessels operated by TÜÇA are expected to carry out the cleaning operation, which is scheduled to be completed within three years. Following the removal of the sludge, authorities aim to increase the bay’s average depth to about 3.4 meters, improving circulation and supporting the marine ecosystem.

The campaign will also extend beyond dredging. According to Kurum, a mooring system using fixed buoys and mooring lines will be introduced to reduce the need for vessels to drop anchors. The measure is intended to protect seagrass meadows, which provide important habitat for marine life and contribute to the health of coastal ecosystems.

The new system will also seek to prevent uncontrolled boat mooring and bring greater order to maritime traffic in the bay.

The project is due to be officially presented at a launch event on Sept. 8, which will be attended by Kurum and Emine Erdoğan, chair of the UN Environment Programme’s Zero Waste High-Level Advisory Board.

The campaign represents a broad effort to combine seabed restoration, marine habitat protection and more regulated maritime activity in one of Türkiye’s major coastal tourism destinations.

Türkiye’s coastal tourism hub, Antalya, recently launched the “Blue Mediterranean” initiative to preserve and restore local marine ecosystems. Spanning the coastline from the eastern district of Gazipaşa to the western resort town of Kaş, the project aims to eliminate pollution at its source, remove ghost nets from the seabed and deploy artificial reefs to boost biodiversity.