This special feature prepared by UNEP/MAP and the Regional Activity Centres SCP/RAC and SPA/RAC on the occasion of the 2021 edition of International Women’s Day aims to highlight the accomplishments of some (among many) of the everyday female heroes who embody the principles enshrined in the Barcelona Convention through their work.
The fisherwoman at the helm in Gokova Bay
A story from Gokova Bay, Turkey, prepared in collaboration with the Mediterranean Conservation Society (MCS) for the observance of the 2021 edition of International Women’s Day
Fisherwomen in Turkey have thrown nets at sea for centuries. Traditional fishing bears witness to the harmonious relationship that can bond humans with nature. But nowadays the traditional brand of catching fish for a living must reckon with multiple threats: illegal and mass fishing practices, the increasingly conspicuous presence of non-indigenous species and other, ever more perceptible effects of climate change.
Fisherwomen also face other issues related to gender roles aboard fishing boats. In a profession still widely dominated by men, female crew members have long been legion, and women captains few and far between. Women’s calls for gender equality are finally bringing about a sea change in the traditional fishing business.
Gulsiye Olmez, a fisherwoman from Akbuk in Gokova Bay, a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Turkey, is the captain of her own boat. Ms. Olmez has been fishing in Gokova Bay since 1982 and learned the craft from her husband. Three decades ago, the pair chose to fish together and never looked back.
“Gathering fishing nets in stormy weather and safely mooring the boat requires both strength and experience. Passing the necessary test and receiving a captain’s license is only one part of the equation. Practical experience is what makes a good captain,” Ms. Olmez explains. Another important factor is the captain’s familiarity and understanding of the geography. “Back in the day we had a smaller boat. At times we would be out fishing for two to three days straight.”
Winning hearts and minds in the National Marine Park of Karaburun-Sazan
A story from Karaburun-Sazan, Albania, prepared for the observance of the 2021 edition of International Women’s Day
The National Marine Park of Karaburun-Sazan covers the marine area along the coastlines of Karaburuni peninsula and Sazani island in Albania. It is a Marine Protected Area (MPA) that was established in 2010, five years prior to the creation of the National Agency of Protected Areas (NAPA). This posed management challenges as a single office in the Ministry of the Environment had to oversee conservation in the entire Albanian territory, according to Lorela Lazaj, the Director of the Regional Administration of Protected Areas in Vlora region (RAPA Vlora).
“For five years there was no proper management in the MPA,” Ms. Lazaj, who is responsible for the management of six protected areas in the Vlora region, observes. When the regional offices were finally set up within NAPA in 2015, a newly established team led by Ms. Lazaj set about laying the groundwork for the effective and sustainable management in the protected areas under their remit.
One of the main hurdles that the team had to overcome was the local communities’ scepticism. To demonstrate the importance of conservation to ambivalent fishers whose subsistence depends on the MPA resources, the team put their Communication for Development skills to good use: “protected areas are not a forbidden territory—by conserving biodiversity they can support livelihoods and yield greater benefits for the community”.
The fisherwoman who conquered her fear and made peace with nature
A story from Kerkennah, Tunisia, prepared in collaboration with Hamed Mallat and Imed Guetat, for the observance of the 2021 edition of International Women’s Day
Salha Bent El-Bouri is a celebrity in Kerkennah, Tunisia, where she was born in 1933 and where she returned at the age of forty to take up a new career as a fisherwoman. "My relatives encouraged me to use the ‘Charfia’, so I followed their advice".
Charfia fishing in the Kerkennah Islands is a traditional, passive fishing technique consisting of palm fronds embedded in the seabed to create a triangular barrier, blocking the path of the fish pulled in by the ebb tide and channelling them into capture chambers and finally into a net or trap. Unlike bottom trawling systems that scrape the seabed, the traps keep the fish alive and fasting until raised.
Since then, the Charfia and net fishing have become the source of her income. "I check in the morning and in the evening, and I always find something”. Salha Bent El-Bouri bags the fish and releases other species that she knows should not be caught. Sometimes, she would have a close encounter with a marine turtle and other unexpected types of catch. This has shaped her attitude towards marine animals.
The MPA leader who’s taking marine sustainability ashore
A story from Tyre, Lebanon, prepared for the observance of the 2021 edition of International Women’s Day
The Tyre Coast Nature Reserve in Lebanon is included in the List of Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMI List) since 2013. The reserve underwent a study in 2019 to establish whether it still meets the criteria of the SPA/BD Protocol’s Annex I, including those related to management. The study identified several issues and the reserve was placed in a “period of a provisional nature”—a technical term used for sites that must enhance management in a pre-determined timeframe to keep the SPAMI label. Since then the management team in Tyre has tirelessly worked to bridge the gaps, including through an updated management plan.
Before taking the reins, Ms. Msayleb had been a member of the Reserve’s committee for 15 years. "The reserve inspired me to take a master’s degree in environmental engineering," she declares when speaking of her continued fascination with the natural beauty of the site and its unique biodiversity.
She decided from the outset that her mission was to lead the reserve towards sustainability while considering societal, economic and environmental aspects. "I base all my proposals, all my projects and activities on these three pillars, because I understand that any endeavor omitting one of them would be doomed".
MPA-based entrepreneur turns invasive fish species into a local delicacy
A story from Kas-Kekova, Turkey, prepared in collaboration with the Mediterranean Conservation Society (MCS) for the observance of the 2021 edition of International Women’s Day
Two years ago, Kubra Karadayi Beyoglu and her husband left Istanbul and moved to the seaside town of Kas where they opened a small restaurant. They cite their fascination with nature in the Kas-Kekova marine protected area as the main reason for them setting up shop there.
As a green-minded entrepreneur, Ms. Karadayi Beyoglu runs her restaurant on locally sourced produce of the season. Her days start with a morning visit to the local fish stalls. The day’s catch provides instant inspiration for the menu.
Delivering a new menu daily comes with challenges, but the Cheffe says she enjoys the process. This has allowed her to build rapport with the fishers and to better understand the mouth-watering wealth of local marine biodiversity.
The Kas-Kekova waters have recently seen a spike in Non-Indigenous Species (NIS), including lionfish. Although it is edible, lionfish was little known by the local gluttons and had a somewhat frightful reputation. The entrepreneur still remembers the first time she was presented with a lionfish. “Don’t touch it or you’ll die,” a fisher warned. “But as I did my own research and learned how to safely clean the fish, I realized it didn’t deserve all this aversion.”
Taking the pandemic of plastic by the horns
A story from the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park, Spain, prepared by SCP/RAC
In Southern Spain, Gloria García Hoyo, a geologist by training, is working alongside Lucía Tejero Trujeque, the director and conservator of Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park, to turn the tide on plastic in this Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMI). Conservation taking place in Marine Protected Areas (MPA), including the network of SPAMIs designated under the Barcelona Convention and its Specially Protected Areas Protocol, is the fulcrum of the collective endeavor to protect biodiversity in the basin.
With 730 tonnes of plastic waste making their way to the Mediterranean Sea every day, SPAMIs are not spared. Dealing with the plastic scourge puts an additional burden on managers who, in addition to possessing solid technical credentials, must demonstrate leadership in mobilizing the required human resources, assets and tools, which tend to be scarce.
The dedication and determination of Ms. García Hoyo were instrumental in the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park obtaining the UNESCO geopark accreditation . The park scooped the award in recognition of the good state of the local environment despite pressure from tourism and other human activities. But a novel plastic threat came with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The views expressed do not necessarily represent the decision or the stated policy of the United Nations Environment Programme.
