1st National Wildlife Workshop: 'The cause of stray animals is irresponsible people'

The 1st National Wildlife Workshop was held at Ondokuz Mayıs University. The workshop, held at the OMÜ Atatürk Congress and Culture Center, brought together officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, academics from all over Turkey, and non-governmental organizations.

''DEVELOPMENTS THAT THREATEN THE ECOSYSTEM AND CAN CAUSE DAMAGE ARE OCCURRING''

Speaking at the workshop, Rector Prof. Dr. Yavuz Ünal said, "Wildlife research is no longer just a virtue. It has turned into a mandatory field of study that people have undertaken on behalf of humanity. The reason is that man is now forcing his own apocalypse. The endless, unceasing effort to win, dominate, and occupy, which began especially with the industrial revolution, has begun to break not only people, not only oppressed nations, but also the chain in the universe. If we are talking about a problem called stray animals today, and if it has started to be seen as a threat, there is actually an irresponsible human behind it. You can very easily abandon an animal you bought for a fortune on the street shortly after. Without calculating what that animal experiences or what the people living in that geography experience, a situation emerges that shatters and breaks the ecosystem. Wildlife research has now become a necessity. It has become a necessity for humanity and for the universe. It has become a necessity in terms of restructuring the ecosystem. Turkey has a number of advantages. Turkey can turn into a focal point regarding wildlife with this treasure it possesses. It has a rich habitat and species. As long as data processing cannot be done, this data remains a burden. The load has become heavier and the risk has increased. Developments that threaten the ecosystem and can cause damage are occurring. We are a country rich in fish diversity, but a species referred to as the Prussian carp, based on some of its characteristics, is destroying all existence. It is threatening. It has no nutritional value, no features, but it has reached a point where it threatens all existence other than itself. I am giving the example of the Prussian carp, but it is the same for other things as well,” he said.

''STRAY DOGS ARE FORMING PACKS''

Nature Conservation and National Parks 11th Regional Director Resul Doğan stated, "As you know, the Animal Protection Law No. 5199 has been on the public agenda in recent days. One of the issues that most affects wildlife is stray dogs. Especially as their numbers increase in rural areas, they are forming packs, and they are putting intense pressure on animals such as roe deer, which we frequently see in our region, and are causing serious harm to animals, especially during birthing periods,” he said.

''WORLD POPULATION IS INCREASING, NATURAL RESOURCES ARE RAPIDLY DEPLETING''

OMÜ Wildlife Research Institute Director Prof. Dr. Hatice Özlem Nisbet said, "The human population has multiplied over the last 200 years, exceeding 8 billion as of 2024, and continues to increase rapidly. This increase means that natural resources are being consumed faster than ever by billions of people on the planet. Especially climate change, habitat fragmentation and pollution, the introduction of invasive species, uncontrolled fishing, and poaching threaten the loss of biological diversity and the degradation of natural environments, as well as the ecosystem diversity that supports all life on this planet. Changes in the ecosystem also lead to the emergence of infectious and zoonotic diseases that result in negative health outcomes for humans, animals, and our shared environment. Wildlife is an integral part of the world's ecosystems and provides balance and stability to nature's processes. The goal of protecting wildlife is to ensure the survival of these species and to educate people on how to live sustainably with other species,” she stated.

The workshop will end on June 29.