Turkey’s environment minister said Yalova and Balikesir were among the towns where most of the mucilage was cleaned up.
Turkey has collected a total of 2,684 cubic meters (94,784 cubic feet) of mucilage from the Sea of Marmara over the past seven days.
Sharing the latest updates on efforts to clean up the waters, Turkish Environment and Urbanization Minister Murat Kurum said on Tuesday that ongoing operations are progressing well and the collected mucilage has been sent for disposal. .
The northwestern province of Yalova, Istanbul, and the western province of Balikesir were among the areas where most of the mucilages were cleaned up, he said.
“During the 1,438 inspections we carried out as of June 14, we imposed an administrative fine of 7.55 million Turkish liras ($ 881,239) on companies that did not meet the necessary conditions,” he said. declared.
Mucilage, also known as ‘sea glanders’, is an overgrowth of microscopic algae called phytoplankton and is caused by rising seawater temperatures due to global warming, water stagnation. and pollution.
On June 6, Turkish authorities announced a 22-point action plan to eliminate a wave of mucilage that covered parts of the Sea of Marmara in the northwest of the country.
Mucilage – mainly accumulated in Mudanya, Gemlik Bay, Gebze and environs, coastal areas on the Anatolian side of Istanbul and around the Princes’ Islands – also partially covered the shores of the Sea of Marmara.
The substance covering the central coast of the northwestern province of Yalova was dispersed by the wind towards the coastal areas of the Cinarcik and Armutlu districts as well as the town of Esenkoy, which are important tourist hubs.
Experts warn mucilage will occur more often due to global warming [Yasin Akgul/AFP]