Turkey conducts major marine ghost‑net removal and launches Van Lake protection plan

In Antalya, officials led by Governor Hulusi Şahin and the provincial agriculture and forestry directorate removed a ghost‑net more than 500 metres long from a depth of about 10 metres at the Çatlıcak fish harbour. The operation, part of the “Antalya Blue Mediterranean Initiative” and the "Antalya da Deniz Hep Temiz" programme, involved coast‑guard and police boats and rescued several crabs, one of which was released back into the sea. Director Şakir Fırat Erkal said the cleanup aims to protect marine life and will continue through the COP31 summit that Antalya will host later this year.

Separately, under the patronage of Emine Erdoğan, founder of the Zero Waste Movement, a comprehensive awareness and assessment program was held on 19 May in the Van Lake basin. The event marked a new phase of the Van Lake Basin Protection Action Plan launched in 2020, focusing on waste reduction and ecosystem preservation in the region.