A Turkish environmental activist has become the first from the country to receive a Goldman Environmental Award, also known as “Green Nobel,” which is presented every year by the Goldman Environmental Foundation.
The foundation announced its six environmental activists this year on Monday, recognizing them for their efforts to protect land and communities, from Brazil to Türkiye to states in the U.S.
Zafer Kızılkaya, the chairperson of the board of the Mediterranean Conservation Association, received an award for his efforts to protect and monitor the ecosystem, with the guard system in special environmental protection zones, especially in Gökova, and his fight against poaching at sea.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Kızılkaya said that this is a very selective award given to projects that bring together many issues from biodiversity to climate, from food safety to securing the income of local communities.
"And this year I am being awarded on behalf of the Mediterranean Conservation Society. This gives me great pride," said Kızılkaya.
Talking about his activities regarding the protection of the environment, Kızılkaya said that he had been working on protected areas in the Far East for about 10 years and returned to Türkiye in 2007.
"We conducted research throughout the Mediterranean and discovered that Gökova (a long, narrow gulf) of the Aegean Sea between the Bodrum and Datça peninsulas in southwest Türkiye, is facing a biological war. Nothing was left under the water but a few fish," Kzlkaya stated.
Stating that areas off limits to fishing had to be established in the country, just like it is done around the globe, he explained: "Hence, we set out to develop a guard system for the protection of the declared areas, with the support of the Coast Guard Command and the Mediterranean Protection Association to prevent illegal fishing."
"We have a team of 30 members: rangers, field managers and academics. We have bases in two different points in the gulfs of Gökova, Bozburun and Hisarönü where we monitor sand sharks and Mediterranean seals. Last year, we carried out underwater cleaning and removed about 15 tons of nets from old fish farms. In the following year in Fethiye Göcek, we launched a ranger protection system to count fish and measure ecosystem parameters. For now, we only are observing the underwater activities in Kaş Kekova, but we have plans to establish a protection system and office there in the coming years," Kızılkaya explained.
He also informed that the training of the employees is refreshed every three months, and the teams are equipped with technological systems that can help them record everything with special software.
"The main focus of our current work is to eliminate invasive species and to counter climate change, and to increase the immunity of the sea by increasing protected areas," he added.
The Goldman Environment Award has been awarded annually since 1989 by the Goldman Environmental Foundation, founded by San Francisco philanthropists Richard and Rhoda Goldman. Award winners are selected by an international jury from candidates nominated by a worldwide network of environmental organizations and experts in the field.
