14.2.3. Overfishing (community outreach)

In 2025, METU ran free outreach activities to raise awareness of overfishing and destructive fishing practices.

National awareness on fishing pressure at the start of the 2025–26 fishing season

Just before Türkiye's marine fishing season opened on 1 September 2025, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ekin Akoğlu of the METU Institute of Marine Sciences and METU CLIMATE explained to the public, through the national news agency Anadolu Agency (30 August 2025), why catches had fallen – from 387,115 tonnes in 2023 to 290,068 tonnes in 2024 – and what fishing pressure does to fish stocks. He described how climate change, fishing activity and predator-prey relationships together drive the stocks of commercial species such as anchovy and bonito; warned that warmer seas are bringing the spawning season forward, so that fish are still being caught while they spawn, which reduces the young fish that replenish the stock; and called for fishing to be planned and for sustainable fishing and pollution prevention to be treated as urgent measures for food security. The story was also published by the national newspaper Karar on 8 September 2025.

https://basinda.metu.edu.tr/2025-09-08/5026857

Free public podcast on sustainable management of the seas (20 March 2025)

In METU CLIMATE's free 'Sustainable Development Talks' podcast, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Yücel, deputy director of the METU Institute of Marine Sciences, explained to a general audience how the seas can be managed sustainably and how marine protected areas help protect marine life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaqm_J2BGek&list=PLK6kHfHfuSzYollGY3DxZBrg8uQz9mn1Y&index=5&t=32s

Sustainable fisheries at the national aquaculture workshop (29 May 2025)

At the 'Sustainable Marine Aquaculture in the Black Sea' workshop that the METU Institute of Marine Sciences coordinated with the Central Fisheries Research Institute (SUMAE) in Trabzon, a session presented the FAO perspective on sustainable fisheries to public institutions, industry representatives and researchers working in the sector.

https://ims.metu.edu.tr/tr/slayt/karadeniz-ortak-denizcilik-gundemi-turkiye-ulusal-etkinligi-0

Sea and Climate School

In the first half of 2025, METU CLIMATE and researchers of the METU Institute of Marine Sciences gave about 2,500 children and young people interactive training on climate change, the effects of climate change and pollution on marine ecosystems, marine biodiversity, marine protected areas, sea turtle conservation and environmental responsibility.