Published 13 years ago, updated 5 years ago

Posted 30th December 2010

Here is a local newspaper article about the Blue Card Scheme.

www.hurriyetdailynews.com

Posted 14th December 2010

For previous noonsite reports about this proposed scheme see here.

Following a number of reports (see above) concerning proposed Grey Water Regulations for cruising yachts in the Mugla area of Turkey (Gocek-Dalaman bays) in the earlier months of 2010, the subject has reared its ugly head once again, however this time rather more quietly.

Cruisers in Marmaris have told noonsite that they have been given a booklet covering “Gocek Gulf and Gocek-Dalaman bays conservations and use principles.”

The booklet is in Turkish and English, but the rather poor translation into English has left many foreign yacht owners confused. The message, however, seems to be that yachts are deemed to be causing severe environmental problems in this area of Turkey and therefore strict controls and limits are being enforced, although apparently only in the western part of the Gulf and not the Fethiye side (renowned for being rather dirtier and polluted).

The booklet details the restrictions and controls governing yachts who choose to cruise in the area, restrictions which are likely to have a major effect both on the yacht tourist industry, and on the attitude of yacht owners towards cruising the previously popular Gocek-Fethiye bay area.

Specifically, these restrictions are:

• A limit on the volume of boats permitted to cruise this area by only allowing mooring to fixed points or buoys and not allowing anchoring.
• Boats can only moor for 3 days in one place, and there is a maximum limit of 11 days stay in the area.
• Waste has to be delivered to one of just two waste collection facilities on arrival (Kille Bay and Sarsala Bay), and boats without waste holding tanks cannot stay overnight in any of the bays. This is thought to cover both grey and black water, which would presumably need to be in separate tanks, a facility few boats possess.
• Barbeques on deck are forbidden.
• Boats have ”to bear the necessary documents and/or chip cards according to the regulation of waste collection and control of the ministry of the environment and forestry”. The booklet does not specify what these documents are.

For the original booklet text, plus map and co-ordinates, see the EPASA website.

Blue Cards are available from marina offices in Marmaris.

Our thanks to Jack Marsh for bringing this new scheme to our attention.