Governorship Approves Tunny Fish Farm

Canakkale deputy governor Mustafa Guler claims that the Tunny fish farms have been set up in accordance with the regulations. The villagers from around the Aegean port city of Canakkale, Assos, severely object to the fish farms.

"We conducted necessary investigations in the region some time ago, and we granted permission for the Tunny fish farm project. The region will be inspected in accordance with the environmental evaluation report (CED)," said Guler.

Locals from the six villages around the Kadirga Bay had organized a demonstration on September 3 to protest the Tunny fish farms, saying that the project would harm the sea, damage fish variety, pollute the soil, harm the touristic and cultural assets of the region and affect tourism.

The villagers told the press last week that they would take the case to court and seek that the fish farm project is cancelled.

The deputy governor told journalists they had looked into the villagers' allegations and found that they were not realistic.

* There are some allegations about the Tunny fish farms set up in the sea on an area of 30,000 square meters (7,410 acres) by the Akua-Dem Water Products company, at the Sivriceburnu site of the Bektas Village in Ayvacik.

Guler said that related institutions have evaluated the application of Akua-Dem Company dated February 2, 2002, in accordance with the laws and granted permission for investment.

"There are no cultural assets to be preserved. Farms don't harm the environment."

* After conducting investigations, we have determined that there are no cultural assets at the region that need to be preserved under the law of Preserving Cultural and Natural Assets. We have also found out that the farms will not disrupt sea traffic, affect tourism or cause environmental pollution.

"They are still at the course of setting up the fish tanks. After the fish are placed in the tanks, we will periodically inspect whether they are fulfilling the obligations stated on the CED report. We will implement necessary legal sanctions," Guler told journalists. (NK/BB/EA/NM)