«My name is Şevket. I live in Turkey. I am 67 years old, and I've been fishing since I was a kid.»
Being a fisher. Caring for nature.
«I started fishing when I was just nine years old. My father taught me. But he didn’t just teach me how to fish. He taught me how to become a fisher.
You see, to me, fishing isn’t just a hobby. When in the early hours of the morning, I set my boat towards Izmir bay, to catch fresh gilt-head bream, cuttlefish or octopus – that’s my whole life. Fishing is my lifestyle. It’s how I feed my family.
And when I’m out on my fishing boat, I’m never alone. I’m sharing the waves with wonderful creatures: sea turtles and dolphins. I spent most of my time at sea, so in a way, we sort of live together. I love seeing the dolphins jump!
Unfortunately, although we usually get along just fine, fishing can sometimes put them in danger.
A turtle once got caught in my trammel net. The same thing happened to dolphins – twice. It’s important to me to help protect these animals.
Why? Because I know that if they get caught in my nets, it’s dangerous for them, and I don’t want them to get hurt. Even if they somehow manage to escape from the net, they’re still at risk.
I wish all fishers would work in a respectable way. If I see vulnerable species somewhere, I’m not fishing in that area: I leave them at peace.»
Millions of birds have been impacted by the bushfire crisis. Over 70 bird species and subspecies have already been badly affected. Help us by donating money to our Australian Partner, BirdLife Australia.
Madrid 10/12/2019 – Coinciding with the annual Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), COP25, and to inform the development of the upcoming European Green Deal and...
Ocean Week 2020 - seven days of events, discussions and activities in Brussels - puts the spotlight on the huge threats faced by marine species and habitats while offering real solutions on how to solve them. We need...
The eagle is a long-standing symbol of strength and glory, but though triumphant within the animal kingdom, the predator becomes the prey when the Eastern Imperial Eagle is confronted with human persecution. Can we...
Ulcinj Salina has been declared a national protected area! For the past 15 years, our Montenegrin partner CZIP has fought tirelessly to block a controversial building development poised to destroy one of Europe’s most...
Hailed for its intelligence and majesty, the Egyptian Vulture was admired and worshipped throughout history. But decimated by poisoning, electrocution and illegal trophy hunting, the bird that was once an Ancient...
The Eurasian Blackcap’s beautiful song has inspired humanity for centuries. But in Cyprus today, it is silenced by industrial-level illegal trapping using invisible nets or glue sticks: all to fuel an unlawful trade in...
Stichting BirdLife Europe gratefully acknowledges financial support from the European Commission. All content and opinions expressed on the ECA section of this website are solely those of Stichting BirdLife Europe.
Stichting BirdLife Europe gratefully acknowledges financial support from the European Commission. All content and opinions expressed on the ECA section of this website are solely those of Stichting BirdLife Europe.