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The situation of the Blue Crab (Land of Lights October 2009) does not look good. Their numbers have decreased greatly year by year due to increasing human presence in their habitat, the beach at Dalyan.
Crab fishing is now featured as a tourist attraction contributing to the crabs’ demise. Groups of tourists are taken to the beach to ‘Fish for Crabs’ using fishing lines with hooks attached. Many crabs caught are juvenile and too small to eat. These are often left to die in the bottom of the boat rather than being returned to the water where they could survive.
Most tourists would not take part in crab fishing if they knew that these creatures are an endangered species.
The Caretta Caretta sea turtle for which Dalyan is also famous is another endangered species adversely affected by crab fishing, yet, how many tourists are aware of this fact? Very few!! This is how it works! Caretta eat crab and scenting this delicacy they congregate near the crab boats. Here, the tourists have a chance not only to see a Caretta, but to feed it crab. Then a double whammy, they can be photographed actually with a sea turtle, what these folk do not know is that the hooks they dangle in the water can cause injury or death to a turtle. Fishing line can strangle or sever a limb and boat propellers (hundreds of boats are on the move in the crab fishing area) can kill or maim. None of these details are mentioned but if the visitors knew, very few would sign up for crab fishing.
The Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Centre at Iztuzu (Dalyan Beach) is making brave, enlightened efforts to save injured turtles and return them to the sea.
The June Haimoff Sea Turtle Foundation now in process of being established will promote agendas to protect Caretta Caretta and the Blue Crab. Measures such as protective cages for boat propellers and phasing out hooks on crab fishing trips will be top priority.
Further information about the Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Centre at Iztuzu Beach, Dalyan and the June Haimoff Sea Turtle Foundation can be found at:
kaptanjune@gmail.com and Associated Doctor Yakup Kaska email: caretta@pau.edu.tr