Improving fisheries management in Turkey by using vessel monitoring and geographic information systems

This study has been carried out to set a useful and leading example for the integration of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) technology to Fisheries Management in Turkey as well as to assist the decision-makers to make more effective analysis. Turkey, with its coasts in four different seas, is an important fishing country. Fishing is of importance not only in terms of providing revenue in the national economy, but also for creating new employment opportunities. In this context, the current state of fisheries management and the recent improvements made in the process of accession to the European Union have been evaluated. The European Union takes the scientific recommendations from regional fishery organizations into consideration when practicing the CFP (Common Fisheries Policy). As the European Union?s coast line along the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea increased due to the recent enlargement process, its interest and focus on the fisheries in the new regions also increased. In this thesis, actual fisheries management models and all the developments have been evaluated. Although GIS technology has a large field of application throughout the world, it has not yet been applied effectively in fisheries management in Turkey. At present only tuna vessels are monitored by satellite based systems. An application of GIS to be used as decision support tool has been made in order to set a good example for the modern approaches to fisheries management in Turkey. The Aegean Sea has been selected as the application area. The data collected from the fishing vessels registered in the following provinces; Aydın, Balıkesir, Izmir and Mugla, have been used. The fishing activity performed in the Aegean Sea is similar to the one in the Mediterranean Sea. In general the fishing fleet in this region mainly engages in daily coastal fishing activities. The Aegean Sea fishing fleet has been classified and operational units have been determined. The fishing areas have been established. The study also covers the recent developments in fisheries management and emphasizes the importance of spatial management of fisheries.