11. Köycegiz-Dalyan Specially Protected Area (Turkey)
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11.KöycegizǦDalyanSpeciallyProtectedArea(Turkey) Section1.BasicfeaturesofKöycegizͲDalyanSpeciallyProtectedArea KöycegizͲDalyan SPA is located in the Province of Mugla and at the southern AegeancoastofTurkey(Figure1).ItisoneofthefirstthreeSPAsdeclaredinJuly1988, asaconsequenceoftheGenoaDeclaration(1985)oftheMediterraneanActionPlan. Figure1:LocationofKöycegiz–DalyanSpeciallyProtectedArea Köycegiz–DalyanSPAisoneoftherelativelysmallerSPAsofTurkeywithasurface area461.5km2andcontainingveryimportantnaturalfeaturesincludingafreshwater lake(KöycegizLake),rivers(DalyanChannelandseveralcreeks),agorgeousdeltawith lagoons and wetlands, sandy beaches (DalyanagziͲIztuzu Beach and Ekincik Beach), slopinghillscoveredwithbasicallypineforest(Figure2).ThecoordinatesoftheSPA territory are given in Table 2.Although four towns (Köycegiz, Toparlar, Dalyan and BeyobasŦ)andseveralvillagesarehousedwithintheSPA,amajorityoftheareaisstill highlyvaluablepristinesites.ThemainpartoftheSPAislandͲbased,includingasmall marinepartwithacoastlineofabout12kilometers.However,thefreshandbrackish waterbodiesincludingtheKöycegizLake,DalyanChannelandthedeltacomprisevery importantfeaturesoftheSPA.KöyceŒizͲDalyanSPAismoreorlesssurroundedbya mountainousterrainwithelevationsvaryingfrom50mtomorethan1,450m. OnecanidentifyrichecotonesofdifferentecosystemsallovertheSPA’sdryandwet areas.The sand spit that serves as the divider between the sea and the system of estuary,lagoonsandwetlandsoneofthetopnestingbeachesoftheloggerheadturtle 350 (caretta caretta) in the whole Mediterranean.Protection of this flagship marine species is of international concern and has been a major activity under the MediterraneanActionPlansincetheearly1980s. Figure2:MainfeaturesandbordersofKöycegizͲDalyanSpeciallyProtectedArea 351 Table1.CoordinatesoftheKöycegizͲDalyanSPAboundaries. 3RLQW1R /RQJLWXGH /DWLWXGH 3RLQW1R /RQJLWXGH /DWLWXGH r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r In fact, thenesting of the loggerhead turtle was the main the reason for the start of the process that lead to deceleration of the site as one of the first three SpeciallyProtectedAreas(SPAs)ofTurkeyinJuly1988inaccordancewiththeGenoa Declaration(1985)oftheMediterranean ActionPlan.Oneendofthebeachwherethe IztuzuLakeislocatedhadbeenleasedtoaninternationalconsortiumforandextensive tourismdevelopmentproject.Theoppositiontothisprojectthatcontinuedforovera year(fromApril1987toJuly1988)andledtocancellationofthedevelopmentproject is recognized as a milestone for coastal management concerns and the growth of environmentalisminTurkey(Özhan,1990). A special public agency (Agency for Specially Protected Areas) was created in 1989formanagementofSPAsasacentralorganisationlocatedintheCapitalCityof Ankara.Some years later, as the number of SPAs increased, a few field offices, one being in Köycegiz, were opened.However, since there were four municipalities and several villages within the SPA, a hybrid type of management system had to be adopted. Section2.CoastalIssues 2.1Themaincoastalissuesconsidered Water quality management: Köycegiz Lake and Dalyan Lagoon are highly enclosed water systems receiving significant amounts of nutrients from natural and 352 anthropogenicsources.Thesystemisclosetobeingeutrophic. Climate change impacts:The delta and the land areas surrounding the river andthelakearealllowͲlayingareas.AsignificantpartoftheareacoveredbytheCase andtherichecosystemwillbeseriouslyaffectedbytheclimate change. ManagementofrecreationalactivitiesandboattrafficintheDelta:Thearea attractslargenumberofdailyvisitorsfromthenearbytourismcentres(likeMarmaris) insummermonths.ManytouristboatscarrythevisitorsdailyfromtheTownofDalyan totheturtlebeachthroughtheriverand thedelta.Thiscreatesasignificantpressure ontheecosystem(juvenilefish)andthesurroundinglands(bankerosion). Nature conservation: The area that is still largely pristine presents a congregationofseveralecosystems(marine,estuarine,freshwaterlake,forestedhills, agriculturalland).Theattractivelandandseascapesandrichecosystemscall forhigh degreesofnatureandlandscapeconservation. Management of habitats of endangered species (marine turtles): The five kilometreslongsandspitbetweenthedeltaandtheseaisoneofthemostimportant breedinggroundsofloggerhead(carettacaretta)marineturtlesintheMediterranean. Turtlenestingalongthespithas beenregularlymonitored(since1986)andmanaged collaborativelybyexpertsandtheDalyanMunicipality.Theonlymarineturtlerescue centreinTurkeyislocatedatoneendofthebeach. Fisheries:Thesystemoflake,riverandlagoonssupportsthemostproductive fishery along the Aegean coast of Turkey.Theannual catch is about 300 tons.The fisheryismanagedbyacooperativeformedbytheresidentsofDalyanandKöycegiz towns.Better fisheries management will contribute to nature conservation on one handandwillproducegreaterincomestothelocalsontheother. Urbansprawl:ResidentialdevelopmentatnonͲurbanareasposesserious threatstonatureconservationandagriculturallands. 2.2Thesocial,political,environmentalandeconomicalrelevanceoftheidentified coastalissues KöycegizͲDalyanSPAisauniquecoastalsystemhavingdifferentsubͲunitssuch asthesea;freshwaterlake;estuary,lagoonsandwetlands;sandspit;agriculturalland, hills and forest.One can identify rich ecotones of different ecosystems all over the 353 SPA’sdryandwetareas.Thesandspitthatservesasthedividerbetweentheseaand the estuary, lagoon and wetland system is one of the top nesting beaches of the loggerhead turtle (caretta caretta) in the whole Mediterranean.Protection of this flagshipmarinespeciesisofinternationalconcernandhasbeenamajoractivityunder the Mediterranean Action Plan since the early 1980s.Therefore, it is not only and ecologicalissue,apoliticaloneaswell. Tourism,fisheriesandagriculturearethemajoreconomicactivitiesintheSPA. All of the identified issues are significant for productivity and sustainability of these sectors. Section3.RelationsbetweencoastalissuesandICZMProtocoland principles 3.1HowdotheselectedcoastalissuesrelatetotheICZMprinciplesandprotocol? Whenpossibleandappropriate,refertotherelevantArticlesoftheProtocol. The following GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF INTEGRATED COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT(listedinArticle6oftheProtocol)arerelevantfortheworkcarriedout in ourCASE. (b) Allelementsrelatingtohydrological,geomorphological,climatic,ecological,socioͲ economic and cultural systems shall be taken into account in an integrated manner, so as not to exceed the carrying capacity of the coastal zone and to preventthenegativeeffectsofnaturaldisastersandofdevelopment. (d) Appropriate governance allowing adequate and timely participation in a transparentdecisionͲmakingprocessbylocalpopulationsandstakeholdersincivil societyconcernedwithcoastalzonesshallbeensured. (h) Theallocationofusesthroughouttheentirecoastalzoneshouldbebalancedand unnecessaryconcentrationandurbansprawlshouldbeavoided. e(j) Damag to the coastal environment shall be prevented and, where it occurs, appropriaterestorationshallbeeffected. Also, the following articles of the Protocol are related to the coastal issues and the projectworkcarriedoutinourCASE: Article9 :Economicactivities 354 Article10 :Specialcoastalecosystems Article14 :Participation Article15 :Awarenessraising, Article22 :NaturalHazards Section4.PolicyissuesandICZMprinciplesandapproaches 4.1Sofar,howhavebeenthecoastalissuesaddressedbythelocal/regional/national government? Thereexistsdetailednationallegislationforaddressingwaterpollution.TheAgency for Special Protection Areas (now the General Directorate for Protection of Natural Assets), Min. of Environment and Urbanism have been conducting systematic water qualitymonitoringatnumberofstationsoverthewatersystem(KöycegizLake,Dalyan Canal, lagoons, recreational waters in front of beaches).Köycegiz and Dalyan Municipalitiesaretheenforcingauthoritiesfortherelatedlegislation. Aspecificsetofregulationslikethetypeandsizeofboats,maximumspeedetc.exists forboattrafficinwaterareasfromKöycegizLaketotheAegeanSea.Thislegislation wasenactedby theregional(provincial)administrationinthe1990s.Theenforcement of this legislation is also with the municipal authorities and this has not been much effective. The number of commercially operating tourist boats has increased considerably over the last 20 years. The number of boats licensed by Köycegiz and Dalyan Municipalities in 2013 is nearly five hundred.Enforcement of this type of protectivelegislationisnoteffectivelypracticedinTurkey. The 5 km long Dalyan spit, being an important nesting beach for loggerhead marineturtlesattheMediterraneanscale,hasbeenmonitoredandmanagedsincelate 1980s.Duetogeographicalsetting,the levelofmanagementattheDalyanspit,which isalsousedasarecreationalbeach,hasbeenratherhighandeffective.Monitoringof the nests and hatchlings has been sponsored by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanismonyearlyprojectbasissince1988andthemonitoringiscarriedoutbyteams belongingtoUniversitiesorspecializedcompanies.Managementoftherecreational useofthebeachhasbeencarriedoutbyDalyanMunicipalitythroughaspecialperiod leasingfromtheMinistry. Fisheries at Dalyan canals and lagoons have been managed by a public cooperativesince1970s.Mostofthenativesof DalyanTownandsomeofthosefrom the Köycegiz Town are share holders of the Fisheries Cooperative called DALKO and 355 they receive a share from then annual income. Protection of the water areas from poaching has been effectively carried out by the cooperative patrols.However,