Any update on Blue Card Scheme?

P

philip17

Active Member
Joined
27 May 2003
Messages
42
Location
Ayios Nikolaos Crete
Visit site
Does any Forum Member have an update on the Turkish Blue Card Scheme? Where and to whom is it being applied and costs etc? Black Water only or Grey Water as well?
I am planning to spend 5 weeks cruising in Turkey commencing mid September, should the Gocek area be avoided? Thanks for any information you can give me.
 
philip17 said:
Does any Forum Member have an update on the Turkish Blue Card Scheme? Where and to whom is it being applied and costs etc? Black Water only or Grey Water as well?
I am planning to spend 5 weeks cruising in Turkey commencing mid September, should the Gocek area be avoided? Thanks for any information you can give me.
Click to expand...

I have had a boat based in Gocek for the past 9 yrs. The scheme is on hold as the authorities have realised they cannot implement it the way the rules are at present. Nothing to worry about for this year at least. The scheme may be re-introduced next year if they can get the scheme ammended, their infrastructure right and organise the policing in time. No guarantees of that happening at the moment either, but maybe partly. So you will be fine in September.

Once the scheme is enforced, (ahem) the current rules call for no discharge from any boat whatsoever. This includes; black/grey/bilge or anything else you can think of. God forbid you take on water, I guess you will just have to sink rather than risk the fine? Un-enforceable imo.

There is a wealth of info all about the scheme and the current situation with representations from the CA through this link.

http://www.syfuga.co.uk/blue_card_scheme.htm

September is the perfect month to go, have a great time. You could use all 5 weeks just in the Gocek area and still only visit 10% of the islands and bays.
 
Good afternoon:

Nothing much has been heard about this subject recently however it has been discovered that the authorities are still moving forward with the project although without much publicity. Once everything is in place it will be a fait a compli and it will be like moving mountains to get it changed.

The management of Netsel Marina in Marmaris recently handed out a small booklet published by the Environmental Protection Agency for Special Areas (EPASA) which also contained a CD and a map outlining the restricted areas in the Gulf of Fethiye. This is not the same organization that created such a fuss last year - it appears that action has moved to Ankara. This is a link to the site: http://www.ockkb.gov.t/EN/Icerik_Detay.ASP?Icerik=221.

I think the material contained is the same as in the booklet but am not sure therefore I am also including a link to the scanned pages from the booklet. http://s1226.photobucket.com/albums/ee406/the_magus1/

Frankly because of the poor quality of the translation I do not understand what is permitted and what is forbidden but I invite members to make from this what they will and look forward to understanding just what is involved.

It does appear that no anchoring will be permitted in the restricted areas - apparently mooring buoys will be laid.

There will be an article written from the viewpoint of a yachtswoman in one of the national papers soon to which I will post a link when it appears.

Also at the meeting mentioned above, the marina management mentioned that a mobile pump was available to empty black and gray water tanks. It was said that the cost had been dictated by the government but the speaker did not have the information at hand.

A yacht later requested pump out services and after having the tank pumped out went to the office to pay and was shocked to be told that they would have to pay 80 Euros for the first pump out and 15-20 Euro for each subsequent one after that. This matter is being disputed at the moment and has not been resolved yet. Personally I don't see them winning - Caveat emptor.

Cheers

Squeaky
 
Newspaper article concerning new rules in Gocek Bay

Good afternoon:

An article appeared in today's issue of a national newspaper concerning the new regulations to be applied in several of the bays in the Fethiye Gulf in Turkey.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n....bout-new-environmental-regulations-2010-12-22

Apparently the local yachting press has shown an interest but the article will be published in Turkish.

Cheers

Squeaky
 
This is the latest from NOONSITE:

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 more dirty 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.

Read the full report here:

http://www.noonsite.com/Members/sue/R2010-12-14-3
 
Gulets

I've got to mention the gulets. We sailed around Turkey and the Gocek Islands 2003 until 2007. Beautiful place to sail around especially the Gocek Bays. In all the time we were there if we saw a Gulet come into a bay we up anchored and left largely due to the pollution. Many of them don't have holding tanks grey or black and they usually pumped out as they were leaving the bay. Apparently there was no law enforcing the gulet to install a holding tank and the trail of **** was there to see.
In my opinion this new law will just be yet another tourist tax. Too many rich yachties sailing around using their 'Free' wind. They just want your money.
I loved sailing in Turkey but I think I'll wait until the Rhodes marina is finally opened and nipping over to Turkey for the odd visit. The transit log paper work isnt really all that bad once you've done it a few times.

It will be interesting to see how many people leave Turkey when the Rhodes marina opens.
 
D I loved sailing in Turkey but I think I'll wait until the Rhodes marina is finally opened and nipping over to Turkey for the odd visit. The transit log paper work isnt really all that bad once you've done it a few times. It will be interesting to see how many people leave Turkey when the Rhodes marina opens.[/QUOTE said:
When I first visited Rhodes in the 1970's the new marina was "imminent". I would not hold your breath waiting for it to open.
The EU loans are long gone and the country is almost bankrupt.
New taxes on booze and fags are attempting to pay for all the loans.
For my visa visits duty free in Marmaris is the way to buy now.
Cheers,
Chris
Click to expand...
 
Rhodes

I was told it Rhodes Marina was opening 2010 but now its opening summer 2011. Some posters on here have confirmed they have seen the evidence there is a marina due to be opened.
 
Update from Yalikavak (North West of Bodrum)

In the marina office today they are busy issuing Blue Cards, they are free at the moment and they say that every boat has to have one. I will be getting ours tomorrow (they wanted a copy of my passport in addition to the copy of the SSR that they already have on file)

I asked how this is being policed and as you guessed, they are not sure. I stated that as we only day sail and tend to manage to either do what the fish do as we swim around the boat (except No.2s) or hold it in until the marina, would we have a problem. They said that we would have to show that we discharge at the marina, so looks like I will have to pump out a holding tank full of feshly added water just to satisfy a pump out figure every now and again (to make it look credible) they also said if you do not pump out anything that is then when they will investigate.
They also said that they have oil waste disposal drums and to make sure that after a service that you get it logged in. No probs with that.

There was NO mention here of Grey water tanks as of yet, but will try to get further clarification on this, NOTE we are not in the previously mentioned Gocek area which was of particular concern.

So it looks like the authorities are getting their act together regarding the printing and issuing of the blue cards (our marina had a pile of them, the girls in the office were going crazy getting each boats file out and clipping a card to them) but as usual for Turkey, they are still not sure how it will be actually administered.

I am sure all the local pleasure boats and gulltes will be doing what they have always done though.

Will update you in next couple of days with any new info.

Mike
 
On the other hand..

We have just returned from 7 weeks in Turkey and saw no sign of any blue card or pump out facilities.
Having said that,we only visited two marinas (Sigacik and Cesme) but there was no mention of the blue card there.

I renewed our transit log in Bozburun and made a point of mentioning it to Salieh (sp?) the agent there . He reckoned that it would be several years (if ever) before the scheme got up and running.

So contradictory information .So what's new?
 
We are at present in the Gocek area and have been for the last 15 days. The Blue Card system is NOT being enforced. There is a Pump out Boat around we saw it go alongside a Gullet and empty the Gullets tank(s). they had called it up on the VHF radio.

There is alot more mooring bouys and tie up bollards than were there last year.

Some Gullets and Gin Palaces use them some do'nt, most Yachts do. It is fun watching the Turkish boats using them. They are so accustomed to dropping the anchor, motoring back and tieing a line ashore. Having to pick up a bouy is a new experience for them. Some really cock it up.

It's as good as watching the flotillas in the Greek Ionion.
 
Unfortunately the answer is that it will or will not be a problem.
As once again we have forum members all giving latest valuable information about their areas, all indicating different interpretations from their various local authorities.
I will be asking questions this weekend at the marina again, as I guess once you have a blue card then you can be tracked, if it is not being policed yet then I prefer not to have one. As I generally have nothing much to discharge. Do not want them to think that I am discharging large volumes without telling them based on their estimate of what I should be doing.

Sounds like same situation as last year.

Yours confused Mike
 
Please, Please, Please read the info. The Blue Card System at present is only suposed to be effective in the Gocek area. NOWHERE ELSE. At present it is NOT being implemented. If it does get implemented then steer clear of Gocek.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top