The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) is endemic to the Mediterranean Sea and Eastern Atlantic Ocean. It’s estimated that there are around 600-700 Mediterranean monk seals in the world, 100 of which are known to live off the Turkish coast.
As a species, it’s regarded as “Critically Endangered (CR)” in the Mediterranean and is in the “Endangered (EN)” category of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List for the global assessment.
So, every single seal is critical for the survival of the species. But local stakeholders such as small-scale fishers can often have animosity towards monk seals as they sometimes target fish caught in fishing nets and damage the nets.
Yet the presence of monk seals is a positive indication that fish stocks are abundant, and the marine ecosystem is rich in biodiversity. So, it's important that fishers are engaged in conservation work to understand the value of monk seals in the marine habitat.
TUI Sea the Change Turkey monitors the population status of monk seals in Turkey and the threats to their ecosystem, making appropriate interventions to improve conditions by improving available breeding and resting spaces, advocating for the establishment of core protection zones around the habitat, and increasing awareness on the species with key local communities including small-scale fishers and school-age children.
