Geographic Indications and International Trade (GIANT)

TED Case Studies

TUNNY and the Bosphorus Fish Depletion

• IDENTIFICATION
• LEGAL CLUSTERS
• GEOGRAPHIC CLUSTERS
• TRADE CLUSTERS
• ENVIRONMENT CLUSTERS
• OTHER FACTORS

I. Identification

1. The Issue

The issue is the depletion of one of the most diverse sea environments in the Black Sea. Unfortunately, the misuse of the water ways between the two continents caused some serious damage to the environment and trade. Bosphorus, the heart and soul of the majestic Turkish city of Istanbul, have long been enjoyed being cross-roads of culture, trade, and environment. Every year it experienced an unprecedented migration of sea life from the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, and eventually to the Mediterranean Sea. The cold currents from the North and the warm currents from the South converge in Bosphorus and they create one of the most unique environments for sea life. The diversity of the waters of Bosphorus include Blue Fish, Sea Bass, Mackerel, Sardines, and Tunney. Out of all of these fishes, Tunney holds a different place in the daily lives of the Turkish people. Through the last decades of the 19th century, the people of Istanbul indulged themselves with Tunney, cooked and served in small fishing boats near the old city. The tradition continued through the Republic era, and it became a cultural identity for Istanbul. Unfortunately, over fishing in Black Sea by the Soviets, Turks, Bulgars, and the Romanians, complemented by the oil spills from the accidents and pollution from the industries resulted in a depletion of Tunney population in the region. However, in order to satisfy the demands, the Turkish fisherman decided to continue selling Tunney, only this time it was being imported from Norway. This created new trade opportunities between Turkey and Norway and further satisfied the need of the people. This case will identify the problem with the Tunney issue on its cultural, economic, gastrological, environmental, and trade elements and it will provide a different look at the relationship between culture, environment, and trade in a specified region.

2. Description

The Bosphorus, the famous waterway between Asia and Europe, has been the focal point of many cultures begining with the Greeks and continuing on to the Vikings, Arabs, Slavs, and Turks. After the Ottoman's conqured the city in 1453, this water way became the center of the ongoing Turkish civilization in the world. It geopolitical position and the abundant natural resources that flow through it gave the Turks an important base of operations. For its geographical location, the straits connect the cold and less salted Black Sea to the warm and saltier Sea of Marmara.

The plenty fish stocks that migrate between the cold Black Sea and the warmer Sea of Marmara, which includes Tunny, Blue fish, Macarel, and Kalkan, have been systematically depleted due to overfishing, pollution and lack of environmental policies to protect the fish population in this diverse ecosystem. Soviet over fishing, Turkish, Romanian, and Bulgarian pollution, and ongoing debates over the existing fishing rights issues served to depletion of the fish population.

Black Sea (ancient Pontus Euxinus), inland sea, lying between southeastern Europe and Asia Minor. It is connected with the Aegean Sea by the Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles. Romania, Bulgaria, and the European portion of Turkey bound it on the west. The northern and eastern shores are bordered by Ukraine, Russia, and Georgia; the entire southern shore is Turkish territory.(Microsoft R Encarta)

The Black Sea has a length of about 1200 km (about 750 mi.) from east to west, a maximum width of 610 km (380 mi.), and an area (excluding its northern arm, the Sea of Azov) of about 436,400 sq km(about 168,500 sq. mi.). The Crimean Peninsula projects into the Black Sea from the north, forming the shallow Sea of Azov on the east and the Karkinitskiy Gulf on the west. The former is almost entirely cut off from the Black Sea. The sea receives the drainage of a large part of central and eastern Europe through the Dnepr, Dnestr, Southern Bug, and Danube rivers. It also receives waters from a considerable section of eastern European Russia, through the Don River (which flows into the Sea of Azov) and from the western Caucasus region through the Kuban (which also flows into the Sea of Azov), and a number of smaller rivers; and the Black Sea drains northern Asia Minor through the Çoruh (Chorokh), Yesil Irmak, Kizilirmak, and Sakarya rivers. The floor of its single central basin lies about 1830 m (about 6000 ft) below the surface, and the greatest depth exceeds 2135 m (about 7000 ft). Severe storms occur frequently on the sea, particularly during the winter season. The prevailing winter winds are from the north.(Microsoft R Encarta)

Navigation in the Black Sea began early. Many of the colonial and commercial activities of ancient Greece and Rome, and in later times of the Byzantine Empire, centered on it. For almost three centuries after 1453, when the Ottoman Turks occupied Constantinople, the modern capital and last stronghold of the Byzantine Empire, the sea was virtually closed to foreign commerce. The Russian Empire began to challenge Turkish supremacy in the Black Sea early in the 18th century. By the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1856, which ended the Crimean War, the sea was opened to the commerce of all nations and was neutralized. In 1870 Alexander II, emperor of Russia, repudiated the neutralization section of the Treaty of Paris and placed a naval force in the Black Sea. A conference of European powers, held in 1871, sanctioned this action, but reaffirmed the right of the Turkish sultan to close the Dardanelles and the Bosporus to war vessels. Following the defeat of Turkey in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78, the Russians gained important rights for their Black Sea commerce. During World War I the Russian fleet in the Black Sea was active against Turkey.("Black Sea," Microsoft (R) Encarta 1994)

The Black Sea once supported a rich and diverse marine life. Its coastal inhabitants prospered from abundant fisheries, and millions of visitors were drawn by its beauty. But by 1990, this resource was on the brink of extinction. In less than 3 decades, the Sea's environment had deteriorated in terms of its biodiversity, habitats, recreational value and water quality. Its fish supply had been plundered and it had become a dumping ground for solid and liquid waste.(International Atomic Energy Agency, see References)

The Black Sea is the richest fish source compared to the other seas surrounding Turkey, the Sea of Marmara, the Aegean Sea, and the Mediterrannean. On the northern coastal line, the Black Sea is quite shallow, however it is deep on the Turkish side. Such big rivers as the Sakarya, Kizilirmak, Yesilirmak, Coruh, Dniester, Dnieper, Volga and Danube feed the sea with plenty of water and fish. The cool water decreases evaporation to a great extent. The salinity is around 0.17 percent and the waters from less salty flow as a swift current into the Mediterranean through the straits of Dardanels and Bosphorus. The Meditarrenaen, which forms the strong part of the current, with 0.38 percent salinity reaches the Black Sea as the reverse flow, thus making up a layer between the two reverse-flowing currents of the Mediterranean's densely salty, and the Black Sea's lighter waters. The water at a depth of 150-200 meters is mixed up equally from every direction whereas after 200m, it remains unmixed but contains hydrogen sulphate. The upper parts from the habitat for various fish species which require a great amount of oxygen and other food. When the surface water becomes cold in winter, the fish move to the straits and then to the Marmara and the Mediterranean. Towards the summer they return to the Black Sea where they live along the shallow shores.(Ozeri)

Numerous rivers flow into the Black Sea from 17 countries. The largest of them, the Danube, empties into the Black Sea 203 cubic kilometers of fresh water anually, about 40 percent of all river water flowing into the sea. But the Danube is heavily polluted with indegrents from Central Europe, the Balkans, and the Carpathian basin. The breakdown of the former USSR republics mean at least one-third of the sewage flowing into the Black Sea is unprocessed. Further, almost 100,000 tons of oil from spills flow into the sea every year.(Naegele,1)

All 17 countries comprising the Black Sea basin contributed to its near-demise; but the damage has been most seriously felt by the 6 surrounding countries -- Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, the Russian Federation, Turkey and the Ukraine. Pollutants, including agrochemicals, toxic metals and radionuclides, made their way into the sea either through the atmosphere or river discharges. Increased "nutrients" caused an overproduction of phytoplankton, which block the light reaching the sea grasses and algae. Industrial activity, mining, shipping, and offshore oil and gas exploration further contributed to the sea's destruction. Tanker accidents and operational discharges caused oil pollution, and coastal industries discharged wastes directly, with little or no treatment. Some countries dumped solid waste into the sea or onto wetlands. Urban areas flushed untreated sewage; and poor planning destroyed much of the aesthetics of the coastlines. The Chernobyl accident also aroused concern regarding radionuclides and their bioaccumulation characteristics.(IAEA),(Turkish Government Environment Ministry)

Turkey specifically sees itself as a victim of other countries pollution. The country's 1,595km/990mi of heavily populated Black Sea coastline has traditionally depended on fishing for a part of its livelihood. But in recent years fish stocks have been severely depleted. According to Turkish marine ecologist Ferit Candeger, some species of fish, such as swordfish, tuna, and mackarel, have disappeared entirely. They have either died off or fled pollution by swimming through the Turkish Straits and resettling in the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas. He points out that, stocks of other fish, such as tunny, grey mullet as well as turbot, ray and other fish, have decreased markedly.(Naegele)

The Black Sea's fisherman know what is going on. They have seen a dramatic decline in total landings from some 850,000 tonnes in 1985 to a low of 250,000 tonnes in 1991. Out of 26 commercial fish species caught in the 1960s only six remain today in exploitable quantities. Many Turkish fisherman responding ot the situation by catching smaller and immmature fish and thus aggrevating the problem.(Bryant)

While fish production was around 124,334 tons in Turkey in 1955, it was almost at the same level (122,148) tons, with ups and downs untill 1975. From that time on, however, it started to assume an upward trend, reaching 600,000 tons in 1988.

FISH PRODUCTION OF TURKEY (tons)

1955	124,334
1975	122,148
1988	600,000

Modern fishing vessels and equipment were without doubt responsible for this increase. According to 1995 data regarding fish production, Turkey ranks 33rd among 161 countries throughout the world, eight among European countries, comes fourth among EU countries and third among the Mediterranean countries. Also, in 1995, 54 percent of Turkey's sea fish production was provided from the Eastern Black Sea, and 26 percent from the Western Black Sea.(Ozeri)

More than 60 plant and animal species essential to the Black Sea ecosystem, including dolphins and seals, are endangered or nearly extinct, as well as 13 types of commercial fish encompassing many species. Overfishing has depleted the Sea's fish. The study revealed that between the early 1980s and the mid-1990s, annual catch value for the fishing industries declined by at least US$ 300 million.(IAEA)

These problems were compounded when several jellyfish-like species, reportedly carried in the ballast water of an American ship, accidentally slipped into the Sea sometime in the 1980s. The new species thrived, devouring fish eggs and other tiny animals that small fish feed upon, and multiplying at a monstrous rate. They quickly reached a mass of 900 million tons as estimated by the GEF (10 times the annual fish harvest from the entire world!).(IAEA)

Also, according to the Turkish Environment Ministry, 30 years ago, there were approximately 60 fish species living in the Bosphorus. Out of those 26 were economically valuable, such as tunny, blue fish, swordfish, sea bass, and mackarel. Today, there is only 20 fish species vacate the strait, and only 11 of those are economically important. Further, various kind of shellfish too disappeared from the scene in the last decade. The developments in the Black Sea; pollution, and overfishing is greatly effecting the sealife in the Bosphorus.(Turkish Government Environment Ministry)

The first decisive step towards a co-operative framework was taken in 1992 when representatives of the 6 Black Sea countries drafted the "Convention for the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution" with help from the international community. Entering into force in early 1994, the Convention includes a basic agreement and 3 specific protocols aimed at: (1) controlling land-based sources of pollution; (2) curbing the dumping of waste; and (3) forging joint actions in the case of accidents (e.g. oil spills). To launch environmental protection activities and develop a longer-term Action Plan, the riparian countries sought support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), a special fund established in 1991 and managed by UNDP, UNEP and the World Bank.(IAEA)

Toxicity in the Black Sea poses a rising threat to the health of people dependent on its water resources. Waterborne diseases are common all along the Black Sea coast and outbreaks of cholera have caused beaches to be closed in numerous locations.

The disappearance of Tunny from the straits and Istanbul is closely linked to the changing environment in the Black Sea, since the species reproduce in the region. However, the marginalization of the fish from the markets of Istanbul has been prevented by the intervention of the Turkish government in behalf of the fisherman, when Turkey began to import Norwagian fish. However, the current reports indicate that the Tunny population is recovering and the Turkish fisherman again selling local Palamut. In any case, there is need for a further research in the matters of how the interactions between Turkey and Norway effected the local economy and the status of the trade has to be measured for future additional purposes. (Hurriyet and Cumhuriyet Gazateleri)

3. Related Cases

by Tevfik Emin Kor April 1999

II. Legal Clusters

5. Discourse and Status:

Turkey is trying to revive its marine resources and have been very active monitoring the waste and pollutant traffic through the Bosphorus. Also, there have been numerous regulations introduced to limit overfishing, most notably the seasonal curfews that would prevent anybody to fish in the reproduction season in the Black Sea.

6. Forum and Scope:

7. Decision Breadth:

8. Legal Standing:

III. Geographic Clusters

9. Geographic Locations

a. Geographic Domain:MIDEAST

b. Geographic Site:ASIAMID

c. Geographic Impact:Turkey

10. Sub-National Factors:

11. Type of Habitat:

IV. Trade Clusters

12. Type of Measure:

Turkey has put some import standards on Tunny coming from Norway, most notably the size (15-20 cm). The Turkish government wanted to assure the fish salesman that a larger Tunny would not replace the local one, thus creating a balance in the absence of the local Tunny.

13. Direct v. Indirect Impacts:

14. Relation of Trade Measure to Environmental Impact

a. Directly Related to Product: NO

b. Indirectly Related to Product: YES, FISH

c. Not Related to Product: NO

d. Related to Process: YES, SPECIES LOSS SEA

15. Trade Product Identification:

16. Economic Data

17. Impact of Trade Restriction:

18. Industry Sector:

19. Exporters and Importers:

V. Environment Clusters

20. Environmental Problem Type:

The environmental impact is clear, almost 50 percent of the entire fish population travelling through the Bosphorus have been disappeared and nearly 60 varieties of marketable fish have been disappeared from the Black Sea (Pope 13).

21. Name, Type, and Diversity of Species

Name: PALAMUT/TUNNY

Type: SARDA SARDA

Diversity: Species of Tunny range from Atlantic Ocean to the Meditarrenean/Black Sea

22. Resource Impact and Effect:

Disappearance of Tunny and several other fishes from the Bosphorus virtually crippled the local fishing industries and the markets that used to sell fresh fish to the city.

23. Urgency and Lifetime:

24. Substitutes:

The Norwegian Tunny was imported to accomodate the needs of the people and since the fish stock has been revived to take their own share back.

VI. Other Factors

References

Bryant, Steve. Unlikely Allies Meet to Save Black Sea, http://www.duth.gr/maillist-archives/thrace/tl34/msg00102.html

Cohen, Ariel. The New Great Game; Pipeline Politics in Eurasia, http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/usazerb/213.htm

Convention on the protection of the Black Sea against pollution, April 21, 1992, http://www.tufts.edu/departments/fletcher/multi/texts/BH1004.txt

Convention relating to the regime of the straits, 24 July 1923, http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1918p/straits.html

Gorvett, Jon. How safe is the Bosphorus?, Middle East, April 1999, v289, p31.

History of Istanbul. http://www.boun.edu.tr/istanbul/history.html

International Atomic Energy Agency, UNDP. Technical Cooperation Building Development Partnerships, Black Sea Report http://www.iea.or.at/worldatom/inforesource/other/undpbook/black_sea.html

Kafkasyali, Bahadir. Fishing in the Bosphorus. Akit, May 1995, v 5, p27.

Naegele, Joylon. Turkey: Black Sea Pollution Depletes Fishing Stocks. http://www.rferl.org/nca/features/1998/11/F.RU.981103134427.html

Ozeri, Zeynep. Turkish Fisheries. http://www.access.ch/tuerkei/NEWS/NEWSPOT/n10.htm

Turkish government warning on pollution in the Turkish Seas. http://www.medyatext.com/turmepa/html/info/bilgi.html

Vaner, Semih. A Strategic Sea. The Unesco Courier, Jul/Aug 1998, v51, p43.