The "Vultures Protection" project supported by Mersin Metropolitan Municipality and the Nature Association carried out research and conservation studies on the migratory bird and shielded bird-harming electrical poles.
A series of activities were held in public spaces and at schools to publicize the importance of protecting endangered species, such as storks, eagles, falcons, hawks and cranes that live in Mersin and migrate between Europe and Africa twice a year, especially vultures.
Many former bird hunters also joined the campaign and worked as tour guides for volunteers and research teams, as the former hunters knew the mountains and habits of migratory birds very well.
In the event, an Anatolian tradition of pouring water was carried out behind the migratory birds. The Metropolitan Municipality also supports shielding the electricity poles that harm the birds.
Stating that birds are very important for the environment and Mersin is on the migration routes, said Mersin Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Adviser Ibrahim Evrim thanked Mayor Vahap Seçer for his constant support and sensitivity to all environmental issues.
"The hardships these creatures endure during their arduous journey are made more challenging by any harm to nature. Therefore, to ease their lives and eliminate risks, we, as the Mersin Metropolitan Municipality, collaborate and support such associations," he said.
Regional manager of the Nature Association Turan Çetin pointed out that Mersin is at an exceptional point in terms of its geographical location, and said, "The region is between Africa and Europe, which makes it the most important migration point of long-winged soaring birds."
Every year, millions of birds travel many kilometers for reasons such as food and climatic conditions after the breeding season. As Türkiye is located on the Mediterranean-Black Sea route, it is a land bridge for migratory bird species.
Stating that migrating birds face great dangers during migration, Çetin said, "Every year across the Mediterranean, millions of birds are illegally killed during their migratory journey."
Shooting and trapping of migrant birds are widespread, particularly in countries bordering the Mediterranean. Recent estimates suggest that up to 1,000 million birds are killed annually in this region. Yet, despite the apparent scale of this activity, there is very little information on temporal and geographical variation in hunting or the effects of this hunting on populations.
Efforts to address illegal and unsustainable legal bird trapping have been impeded by a lack of reliable statistics regarding its scope and scale and a limited understanding of the social, economic and cultural importance of trapping itself amongst local communities.
