August 28th, 2006

The Turkish fishing industry is launching a battle to fight against a decision that allows an asbestos laden ship into Turkish waters. Officials from the fishing industry plan to appeal to the highest court in the nation in order to get the decision that allows the toxic ship to enter Turkish waters reversed.

The Mexican ship, Otopan, is set to be towed in from the Netherlands to the port of Izmir on the Aegean Sea. However, The Marmara Union of Fisheries Cooperatives and Nature Warriors environmentalist group state that if this move is allowed to go ahead then it could seriously harm the fishing industry in Turkey.

For the last seven years the ship has been docked in Amsterdam because it was not classed as safe to be on the seas. It is set to be dismantled at Aliaga, 40 miles north of Izmir, after permission was given by the Environment and Forestry Ministry in Turkey for the dismantling to go ahead.

Ali Guney, chairman of the Istanbul Union of Fisheries Cooperatives, stated that Turkey was not a dumping ground, and he went on to state: 'The Mediterranean was polluted by the waste of chrome factories. Will the Aegean and Marmara seas face the same fate?'