This system was developed for the first time in Turkey by the Mediterranean Conservation Society, and implemented in 2013 to more effectively protect No Fishing Zones (NFZs) at the Gökova Bay. The Marine Ranger system places local shore fishers at the forefront of marine protection. It places small-scale shore fishers as the key stakeholders in the conservation of marine biodiversity and No-Fishing Zones, and sustainable fishing activities. This allows fishers to protect their source of living and to become an active part of resource management.
Marine Rangers are selected from fishers and become MCS employees. They record illegal activities (fishing, incorrect boat mooring, polluting, etc.) encountered in the No-Fishing Zones and submit these reports to the relevant local departments of the Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and the Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning through a communication network created for this purpose. A mobile app called SMART (Smart Monitoring and Reporting Tool), which is a GPS enabled app for smartphones, is used by marine rangers to record infractions and monitor daily patrol routes. This allows each NFZ to have its own monthly monitoring report and to track the number of incidents reported to the authorities as well as encounters with marine species.
Marine rangers are not law enforcement officers. Their responsibilities fall under Article 56 of the Turkish Constitution and are limited to providing information — and if required, support — to public institutions in the prevention of illegal activities.
The MCS is simultaneously monitoring No Fishing Zones and areas outside NFZs to track the efficiency of the Marine Ranger system. The monitoring of monk seals, sandbar sharks, seagrass, macroalgae and coral species, fish biomass and daily fishing data contribute to the planning of future conservation efforts, as well as evaluating the effects of the Marine Ranger system on marine biodiversity and the socio-economic makeup of the area.
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