T&T Airport Management’s photo exhibition, themed “Life of Cypriot fishermen”, created in cooperation with the Northern Cyprus Turtle Protection Association (SPOT) opened at Ercan Airport on Monday 12th Deceber 2022.. The photographs in the exhibition, displayed in the passenger departure lounge at Ercan Airport, show the lives of fishermen.
Beton: “We are committed to protecting marine life”
Damla Beton, a member of the Board of the Northern Cyprus Turtle Conservation Association, stated that the Association is dedicated to protecting marine life and that during their work they realised that neither the public nor the tourists visiting our country knew much about fishing, which is a part of our local culture. She stated that they wanted to open a window into the life of the fishermen through Olkan Ergüler’s camera in order to showcase the difficulties experienced by the fishermen so they created the “Life of Cypriot Fishermen” photography exhibition.
Beton said, “The pearl of the Mediterranean is the island of Cyprus. A paradise surrounded by deep blue seas. Many people living in Northern Cyprus benefit from this sea. Fishing is one of the most important sectors in our country that benefits from our seas. Fisheries are socio-economically important sectors that provide the livelihood of many families, the guarantee of healthy generations, and one of the most favourite foods of tourists visiting our country. Therefore, its sustainability is very important. Sustainable fishing, blue seas, beautiful beaches, in short, means Northern Cyprus with its unique natural beauties.
Showing to the audience at the exhibition the problem of by-catch in our seas (the unintentional capture of endangered species such as sea turtles, dolphins, whales, seals, sharks, stingrays and seabirds) was addressed both from the perspective of fishermen and wildlife. She said she had put her finger on the conflict between wildlife. Explaining that they estimate from their studies that 36,000 shark and stingray fish and 2,500 sea turtles are caught in the nets annually. Beton said, “This does not only harm the wildlife, it also causes damage to our fishermen.
We, as SPOT, thank T&T Airport Management for giving us the opportunity to mount our exhibition at Ercan Airport in order to promote our country’s fisheries as a part of our local culture and thus support them.”
Source (Turkish): Northern Cyprus Turtle Protection Association (SPOT)
