An action plan to combat an invasive species adversely affecting aquatic biological diversity in Türkiye has been implemented by the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks, affiliated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, according to a report published Friday.
According to the annual report of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the project launched last year aims to neutralize threats posed by harmful invasive species that surged in Türkiye's waters in recent years.
With the implementation of emergency action plans under the project dubbed "Project for Evaluation of Threats of Invasive Alien Species in Terrestrial Environments and Inland Waters in Türkiye," steps against the invasion of water monkeys in the Meltiç Delta in the northwestern province of Edirne and the bur-cucumber plant, with broad leaves that climb over shrubs and fences and particularly dominate the Black Sea region are being undertaken.
The silver crucian carp found in Seyitler Dam Lake in Afyonkarahisar and the Eastern mosquitofish whose habitat is in Acıgöl springs in Denizli, as well as the green parrot found in Seğmenler and Portakal Çiçeği parks in the capital Ankara, along with the red-eared slider, a species of turtle with red cheeks sighted in various parts of Antalya, are also among the invasive species included in the scope of the ministry-affiliated project.
Usually not very hazardous to human health, some of these species still pose a risk for the fishing industry while also threatening to upset the food chain balance.
As for the invasive red-eared sliders, this species negatively impacts ecosystems they occupy because they have certain advantages over native marine populations, such as a lower age of maturity, higher fecundity rates and larger body size, which offer them a competitive advantage at basking and nesting sites, as well as for exploiting food resources.
Int'l support
The budget of the action plan, which will continue throughout the year, was determined as TL 4.5 million (around $232,300), as per Anadolu Agency (AA) reports.
The project aims to eliminate the lack of legislation on invasive species, equivalent to the European Union legislation, and increase public awareness besides easing pressure on native species exposed to threats from invasive organisms.
In cooperation with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and through financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF VI), the ministry also conducts other projects that focus on the evaluation of threats in "important marine biodiversity areas."
To support the programs relating to invasive species, the research on the impact of climate change on the ecosystem was also conducted in the Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea regions to combat invasive species such as silver-cheeked toadfish and lionfish. Hunting of these species has been included in the scope of support.
According to the report of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), obtained by AA, it was stated that biodiversity was highly influenced by natural changes that have occurred on a global scale in the last 50 years.
In the report, the five factors listed as posing direct harm to nature on a global level include changes in land use in the seas and on land, direct consumption of organisms, climate change, pollution and the invasion of foreign species.