Educational Outreach on Overfishing, IUU Fishing and Destructive Fishing Practices

Atatürk University conducts continuous educational and community outreach programmes to raise awareness about overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and destructive fishing practices, particularly within Eastern Anatolia’s freshwater ecosystems. These initiatives are coordinated through the Faculty of Fisheries, in collaboration with the Inland Fisheries Research and Application Unit, the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, and local fishing cooperatives.

1) Community Education and Awareness-Raising Activities

  • The Faculty of Fisheries organizes annual workshops, seminars and public panels in Erzurum and surrounding provinces, addressing topics such as sustainable fishing quotas, fish population monitoring, and the ecological risks of illegal and unreported fishing.

  • In cooperation with the Erzurum Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, the faculty provides training sessions for licensed fishers and aquaculture farmers on legal fishing regulations, the 1380 Fisheries Law, and enforcement against IUU fishing.

  • Public awareness events held during World Fisheries Day and World Water Day include exhibitions and student-led presentations highlighting the dangers of destructive fishing gear and the loss of aquatic biodiversity due to overfishing.

2) Inland Fisheries Research & Application Unit — Applied Training for Fishers

  • The Inland Fisheries Research and Application Unit (İçsu Balıkları Araştırma ve Uygulama Birimi) plays a central role in outreach to local communities. The unit not only conducts fish production and broodstock studies but also provides technical education to fish producers and aquaculture cooperatives.

  • Producers visiting the unit receive hands-on guidance on sustainable harvest limits, broodstock protection, and ecosystem-based aquaculture, discouraging destructive or unregulated practices.

  • The University’s open-house programmes and technical demonstrations invite school groups, local farmers, and environmental NGOs to learn about the ecological and economic damages caused by illegal fishing and the benefits of controlled production systems.

3) Student-Led Outreach and Public Campaigns

  • Under the Toplumsal Duyarlılık Projeleri (TDP) framework, Fisheries students conduct outreach projects in nearby towns and high schools focusing on protecting freshwater resources and combating illegal fishing practices.

  • Campaigns such as “Protect Our Lakes” (Göletlerimizi Koru) and “Sustainable Fishing Awareness Days” include poster exhibitions, social media outreach, and field visits where students and academics engage with local communities and youth groups.

  • These events emphasize the ecological impacts of overfishing and the need for responsible community participation in preserving aquatic biodiversity.

4) Academic and Governmental Collaboration

  • Atatürk University collaborates closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and TEMA Foundation in implementing community training activities on water ecosystem sustainability and fishery conservation policies.

  • The University’s faculty members contribute scientific expertise to regional fish stock monitoring, and policy development for IUU fishing prevention in Eastern Anatolia’s inland water basins.

  • Through scientific conferences and national workshops hosted on campus, the University disseminates up-to-date research on climate impacts on fisheries, aquatic biodiversity, and illegal fishing detection technologies.

5) Content and Pedagogical Focus

Educational outreach covers the following key areas:

  • Understanding overfishing and its consequences on local fish populations.

  • Recognizing and reporting illegal and unregulated fishing in freshwater systems.

  • Promoting the use of non-destructive fishing methods and legal gear types.

  • Training on the 1380 Fisheries Law and relevant EU-aligned sustainability criteria.

  • Encouraging community monitoring and youth involvement in protecting aquatic life.

Summary Table — Outreach & Education Activities

Programme / Activity Primary Audience Main Focus Responsible Unit / Partner
Fisher Education Workshops Licensed fishers, aquaculture farmers Legal fishing, IUU prevention, ecosystem awareness Faculty of Fisheries + Erzurum Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry
“Protect Our Lakes” Campaign Local communities, students Overfishing & freshwater biodiversity Faculty of Fisheries + TDP Center
Public Seminars (World Fisheries Day, Water Day) General public, youth Dangers of destructive fishing Faculty of Fisheries
Technical Demonstrations at Inland Fisheries Unit Producers & cooperatives Sustainable aquaculture, broodstock management Fisheries Research and Application Unit
Collaboration with Ministry & NGOs Policymakers, trainers National IUU policy awareness Faculty of Fisheries + Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

Etkinlikler

Watershed Management Strategy Based on Location-Specific Aquatic Species Diversity

1) Context and Institutional Commitment Atatürk University recognises that the Eastern Anatolia region—characterised by river systems (such as the Karasu and Aras basins), lakes, streams and high-altitude wetlands—supports unique aquatic species diversity facing pressures from land use change, aquaculture, climate variability and watershed alteration. In response, the University has developed…

Community Collaboration & Partnerships for Shared Aquatic Ecosystem Maintenance

1) Institutional Commitment to Collaborative Stewardship Atatürk University acknowledges that freshwater ecosystems in Eastern Anatolia—lakes, rivers, wetlands and their catchments—are shared community resources and require cooperative stewardship. The University has made formal commitments to engage local communities, producers, industry partners, government authorities and NGOs in joint efforts to maintain, restore…

Programmes & Incentives for Good Aquatic Stewardship

1) Institutional Commitment and Strategic Framework Atatürk University recognises the critical importance of aquatic stewardship—the practice of responsibly managing freshwater systems, ensuring sustainable aquaculture, preserving biodiversity and protecting aquatic ecosystems from over-exploitation and degradation. The University has embedded aquatic stewardship into its institutional mission and strategic plans through key units:…

Monitoring the Health of Aquatic Ecosystems

1) Institutional Framework & Mandate Atatürk University, through its dedicated institutional infrastructure, actively monitors the health of freshwater aquatic ecosystems in its region, encompassing lakes, rivers, streams, and associated habitats. The key institutional bodies facilitating this work include: The Biyoçeşitlilik Uygulama ve Araştırma Merkezi (ABBM), which supports research, specimen collection…

Plan to Minimise Alteration of Aquatic Ecosystems

1) Institutional Commitment & Strategic Basis Atatürk University recognises that its region’s freshwater ecosystems (lakes, rivers, streams) are subject to physical, chemical and biological alterations — through land-use change, aquaculture, effluent discharges, invasive species, and climate pressures. In response, the University has adopted a comprehensive “Aquatic Ecosystems Protection & Sustainable…