Specialized teams from the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change have been dispatched to the Bayraklı district in Izmir, Turkey, to investigate the pollution source and address the issue of dead fish washing up on the shore and the foul smell emanating from the area. Following the announcement of the ministry that a more detailed examination will be conducted in the gulf, expert teams along with the Mobile Water and Wastewater Analysis Laboratory have started their work at the Manda Stream, which flows into the sea from the Bayraklı district.
The teams have taken water samples from the stream and directed them to the Mobile Water and Wastewater Analysis Laboratory in the region. Samples will also be collected from the Bostanlı, Bayraklı, Laka, Arap and Balçova streams, as well as the Manda and Meles rivers, and the Atatürk and Kemalpaşa Organized Industrial Zone wastewater treatment facilities. The focus of the investigation will be to determine the pollution load carried by these streams.
Barış Ecevit Akgün, the Head of the Environmental Monitoring and Compliance Department of the Ministry, stated that the teams were sent to support the local efforts to investigate the fish deaths. Samples were taken at various depths and locations in the sea following the fish deaths, and a study will be conducted to determine the pollution load brought by the seven major rivers flowing into the gulf. Akgün also mentioned that despite the regular monitoring of all sources in the region, they will now be inspecting sources that are not required to have monitoring systems.
Akgün explained that there has been a significant increase in organisms in the area, leading to a decrease in dissolved oxygen levels and the accumulation of pollution that resulted in the fish deaths. However, a comprehensive assessment will be made based on the analysis results. Samples were also taken from Narlıdere and Çiğli wastewater treatment plants operated by IZSU, although the results are pending. A pump has been installed to increase oxygen levels in the affected area, and cleaning operations are ongoing by municipal and firefighting teams.
Lastly, the TÜBİTAK MARMARA Research Vessel has been conducting investigations at various points in the Izmir Gulf to further analyze the situation. The goal of all these efforts is to identify the pollution source, prevent further damage to the marine ecosystem, and ensure the protection of the environment and public health in the region. The local authorities, supported by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change, are working diligently to address the issue and find sustainable solutions to protect the bay and its marine life.
