Conservation Funding
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Generate conservation funding from businesses using marine resources
Improving
Gökova Bay to Cape Gelidonya
Türkiye
Problem: Sustainable funding sources are needed to support AKD’s conservation work and fund patrolling of marine protected areas to enforce No-Fishing Zones, allowing the recovery of overfished native fish populations and damaged seagrass meadows. In addition, invasive species like lionfish and rabbitfish are abundant and negatively impact the seagrass meadows by overgrazing, also outcompeting native herbivorous fish.
Action: AKD is working to create and diversify sustainable financing for restoration activities by marine resource users. To achieve this, AKD has set up a sustainable enterprise (AKD Ltd.) which creates a market for invasive fish species by raising awareness with local restaurants, and by facilitating the market chain for fishers and cooperatives to sell their invasive species to restaurants. AKD is also engaging in tasting events, food demonstrations, food festivals and communications to promote the diversity, quality and taste of these invasive species and how to prepare the fish in different dishes.
Indicator: The total value of conservation funding generated by marine resource users indicates institutional change in the area, where marine resource users understand the value of the seascape and financially contribute to its protection and restoration. In addition, this funding contributes to further conservation and restoration actions.
New fish seminar participants, spreading knowledge on preparing and eating invasive alien species. Photo: AKD.
Working in collaboration with restaurants and fishers to create new recipes for invasive lionfish. Photo: AKD.
Methods
AKD monitored the total funds it received from marine resource users over the course of the project. This included income to AKD Ltd. through the catch and sale of invasive fish. Data were then adjusted to account for national inflation, as the project spans a period of significant economic variability in Türkiye (including the Covid-19 global pandemic). For this, prices were first converted to US dollars according to the exchange rate in the period that data was collected, and prices were then deflated to a December 2024 US dollar base to remove the effects of inflation.
Results
From a baseline of no lionfish sales through AKD Ltd. in 2019, the number and value of sales increased year-on-year (Fig. 1). The number of sales peaked in 2022 at 167, but the total inflation-adjusted value of sales continued to climb until 2023, peaking at $22,653. While it was slightly lower in 2024, number and value of sales remained well above initial levels.
Figure 1: Annual number of sales of invasive lionfish through AKD Ltd. (left) and inflation-adjusted income from lionfish sales (right) over the ELSP-funding period, starting with the baseline of no sales in 2019.
Lessons learned
Although income has been significant and rising consistently, costs have also been high and AKD has to focus on gradually reducing expenses of these activities through annual operational savings with the primary goal to partner with loyal, high-level restaurants and secure regular orders from them. Significant awareness raising and communications activities have gone alongside the work of AKD Ltd. aiming to promote the catch (to fishers), purchase (to restaurants) and consumption (to consumers) of invasive species. Despite this, and even with reduced expenses, the time and financial costs of the enterprise are high.
Partners
