Guardians of the Sea
23

Pollution is rapidly destroying our marine ecosystems and causing the depletion of the world’s fish stocks. Extinction is not just an environmental problem; it’s also threatening the way of life and livelihoods of the families who continue to engage in traditional fishing. In Turkey, they represent about 90 percent of the fishing fleet, but benefit from only 10 percent of the total catch. The natural protectors of our seas, these small-scale fishing families observe the changes in our seas on a daily basis. Co-produced by WWF-Türkiye and Tarçın Film, Bahriye Kabadayı Dal’s documentary film Guardians of the Sea bears witness to how fishing families in Mordoğan, Izmir are struggling to cope with the changes that human beings have wrought on our environment. The film looks at the establishment of the Mordoğan Fisherman's Cooperative and its implementation of an exemplary joint management model. It also examines the daily lives of fishing families, their relationship with the sea, the challenges they face, and the role they play in the sustainability of fisheries and traditional fishing culture.