The project is building on the achievements of TUR-03-15.

Background:
Lake Van, with its salty and carbonated waters and unique biodiversity, is one of the most interesting ecosystems in the world. Its highly carbonated water (pH 9.8) makes the environment unsuitable to live for animals of higher order, therefore no fresh water or marine fish species with the exception of Pearl Mullet (Chalcalburnus tarichi), is able to survive in the lake. The pearl mullet is a member of the cyprinidae family, leaves the lake for reproducing in rivers in the spring. Hunting of the fish is usually done during the reproduction migration in May and June. Continuous efforts in the area towards conservation of the species have succeeded in decreasing the number of reproduction period fishermen, however there are still some that keeps on harvesting the fish. Part of the reason for this persistence is insufficient income levels and the local habit to consume salted fish with eggs. In the previous phase of the project, some income generating activities were developed and attempts were made to change the eating habits to healthier alternatives.

The Pearl Mullet is the most hunted member of the cyprinidae family that lives in Turkey?s inland waters. Normally it measures 19.5 cm and weights 80 g. Although the fish comfortably lives in Van Lake?s salty and carbonated waters, it cannot reproduce there. Therefore during its reproductive period, the fish migrates to freshwater streams around the lake, against the current, jumping like the salmons. (Photo 1).

The fish is traditionally hunted (harvested) and consumed salted with eggs during the reproduction period. In the course of time this over harvesting became a threat to Pearl Mullets and is a health threat to humans. While in the 1960s only 600 tones of fish were harvested, today the number reaches to 15,000 tones. With its 2003 prices, the pearl mullet has 7,000,000 $ turn over per year.

Project Rational:
- The Pearl Mullet is threatened by reproduction period hunting
- Infrastructure for winter fishing as an income source is not yet in place
- The ecotourism potential of the pearl mullet migration is unknown and the infrastructure is inadequate
- The risks and potential health effects of unsustainable consumption habits and sustainable consumption methods are unknown
- Efforts on raising awareness to achieve the social change necessary for sustainable fishing are insufficient

Project strategy:
To prevent migration period hunting, winter fishing, fish salting facilities and ecological tourism were determined as potential alternative income generating activities. However, it is important to note that in order to promote winter fishing and make it a reality, the project still needs to resolve demand issues in the market, processing and storage facilities for fish and build shelters for boats. The project has taken the lead in bringing in the private sector to the conservation and initiated fish salting ateliers to be established. These will both allow the fish to be marketed after it is processed, while at the same time preventing the locals from salting the fish with eggs under unhygienic conditions and will offer a consistent quality in the way the fish is processed and marketed throughout the year. This way, not only the fish would have an added value, but also a whole new income source will be generated. As for tourism, which is a completely new notion for local people, people coming from other places to watch pearl mullets migration is another extra income source as well as pride and raising of awareness regarding the importance of the fish with respect to the regions biological diversity.

While developing these new opportunities, their compatibility with the socio-economical and traditional values of the local people has a crucial importance and should be verified. Sample activities should be organised to show people the possibilities, an event presenting new fish cooking methods can support villagers in changing their nutritional habits. On the other hand, to make all these results sustainable, gatherings should be organised, where discussions on traditional nature-protecting values and heritage but also on the conservation of fish and nutrition to reach the local people.

Association of Nature Observers aims to develop effective and replicable community level strategies and implement technologies that reduce threats against the global environment, gather lessons from community-level experience and initiate the dissemination of successful strategies as well as lessons learned, in a participatory manner involving all stakeholders for an effort to support and strengthen the capacities to address global environmental problems and to promote sustainable development.
Association of Nature Observers aims to demonstrate that an over harvested local resource can only be conserved with the involvement of the very people responsible from its over consumption. The project does this with several methods, via raising awareness of the locals, helping the local enforcement authority, the gendarmerie to implement the reproductive period harvest ban, providing alternative income generation opportunities to locals and via demonstrating the healthier and more hygienic methods of consuming the fish.

The efforts regarding pearl mullet have been ongoing since 1992. After determining the current situation and developing an alternative fishing management model, it was time for some action. At the beginning of the application a state-centred approach was used, but this was not completely successful. With its second phase, a fisherman and fishmonger centred approach was adopted, but this time, ignoring the government?s involvement to the project was the reason for failure. Finally during the third phase a NGO centred approach incorporating both fishermen and the state but also other stakeholders was adopted. At this stage, with the support of GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP) implemented by UNDP, in 2001, training programmes for fishermen, public officers, security guards and farmers (not knowing the right irrigation techniques) were launched, those (people and associations) leading successful attempts and actions were rewarded. This way, an alternative fishing management model could be built on strong foundations. The project received continuous guidance from the National Coordinator and the National Steering Committee members, which contributed greatly to its success.

Project?s objectives were built step by step, by dealing with local problems as they come along during decade long conservation efforts. Participation, as we understand is, ?those that are accepting the problem and contributing to its solution. For those who do not accept their problem, we believe by redefining the problem we can make them accept it and then they will be able to begin the participation process. We are relying on the participation from the government, local authorities, other NGOs, the private sector and local people for determining and achieving these goals. More so as the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF) have legal obligations when it comes to protecting pearl mullets. In a meeting organised by the Protection and Control General Directorate of MARA in April 2001, it was decided to develop a ?Van Lake Fishing Management Plan? that would also constitute a model for other lakes in Turkey.?

Another meeting was organised by the call of the MoEF (Ministry of Environment then), in May 2001 about the constitution of a protection action plan. These two meetings demonstrated the government?s participation and determination to pearl mullet conservation efforts.

As a local organization, we are collaborating with fishermen?s cooperatives; as they have expressed their acceptance and willingness before and during the project. Van Trade Stock Exchange has declared its interest by organizing a meeting on the marketing issues of the pearl mullet in March 2003. They have also made collaboration with Nature Observers Society for the development of alternative income generation opportunities and their realisation.

Yuzuncu Yıl University?s facilities are also used for the benefit of this project. Aquaculture Department of its Faculty of Agriculture is directly involved.

Another CBO cooperating with this project is the Pearl Volunteers Group of Van Yuzuncu Yıl University?s Faculty of Agriculture.

Moreover, Van and Bitlis Governorships and district offices of Muradiye, Ercis, Adilcevaz, Ahlat, Tatva, Gevas and Edremit are providing their continuous support to the project. Festivals celebrating and ?migration watch? of the pearl mullets were organized with their help. For the last 3 years, the migration watches attract an increasing number of people, an important reason for involvement of the Governorships. Information about Pearl Mullet can now is inserted to the official city guide of Van Culture and Tourism Office as an extension of their support to the project.