site.btaMigration of Marine Invasive Species Threatens Ecosystems, Swimmers in Turkiye

The General Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture at the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has counted 159 invasive species in the White, Marmara, Aegean, and Black Sea. Their migration and encounter with local marine species endangers ecosystems and, in some cases, pose a threat to human health as well, TRT Haber reported Thursday. The most dangerous to humans are the pufferfish, lionfish, striped catfish, and poisonous jellyfish. 

Turkish authorities offer TRL 35 (BGN 1.50) per caught pufferfish and TRL 10 (BGN 0.43) per every other poisonous species caught.

The migration of marine invasive species has to do with climate change and the development of shipping, where animals attach themselves to the bottom of a ship's hull and thus reach new habitats. Studies conducted by the General Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture show that 87% of the fish species examined come from the Indian Ocean. Of the 159 invasive species identified, 89 were found in the Mediterranean Sea, 55 in the Aegean Sea, 12 in the Sea of Marmara, and 3 in the Black Sea. Only 17% of these species have economic value, and 22% are poisonous and pose a danger to human health.

In the Black Sea, the sea snail is considered the most problematic as an invasive species, while in the Sea of Marmara that is the common starfish and in the Mediterranean Sea, the killer algae.

Poisonous invasive species pose a risk to nearly 28 million people. That is why the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has developed a special programme for catching such marine species; also, control and monitoring projects are being implemented and educational programmes for children and fishermen are being conducted.