26 October 2010
PRESS RELEASE
26 October 2010
International Black Sea Action Day will be celebrated on 31 October – 2 November in Trabzon, Turkey, with activities jointly organized by the Turkish Ministry of Environment and Forest and the Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution (Black Sea Commission).. Within this context, two-day long panels are being organized where the threats facing the Black Sea marine ecosystem, efforts to cope with these threats in various fields, the current situation of the sea and the effects of the chemical accident in Hungary will be discussed.
Within the framework of the celebrations, six individuals from Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russian Federation, Turkey and Ukraine will be awarded the “Black Sea Medals” for their significant contribution to protecting the Black Sea ecosystem. Presented by the Black Sea Commission since 2006, the Award aims to support and encourage efforts to rehabilitate the ecosystem of the Black Sea and make it go back to its healthy state as in the 1960s, and especially emphasize the importance of individual efforts.
Moreover, there will be various exhibitions and especially the press launch of the BLACK SEA BOX, an education kit developed to provide educational and entertaining tools for the elementary school students and their teachers aimed at enhancing their love for and interest in the sea, and teach them about the value of the natural life and balance of the Black Sea. The Black Sea Box was prepared by renowned Turkish and foreign scientists, contains maps, games, pictured books and game cards which will be translate into the languages of the six Black Sea riparian countries. Prepared with the cooperation and contributions of the Turkish Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution, Turkish Ministry of National Education, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), WWF-Turkey and the Coca-Cola Company, this education kit will have its debut implementation in Turkey.
The main purpose of this year’s activities is to raise public awareness towards the protection of the invaluable Black Sea, and the following goals are aimed at in this regards:
•To inform general public and to include it in the activities of protecting the Black Sea against pollution.
•To deliberate and discuss about the pollution (including oil spills) and the measures to be taken.
• With the participation of the concerned national and international stakeholders, to forge a platform in order to conduct scientific studies and to share scientific data for the sustainable use of the Black Sea.
The Black Sea countries, Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, the Russian Federation, Turkey and Ukraine, signed the Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution (Bucharest Convention) on 21 April 1992 and Black Sea Strategic Action Plan on 31 October 1996, and decided to act in cooperation towards the protection of the Black Sea. Hence October 31 has been celebrated as the “International Black Sea Action Day” by the Black Sea countries every year since 1996. Celebrated in the six riparian countries simultaneously, the International Black Sea Action Day is a regional activity designed to raise public awareness of the need for regional cooperation necessary for the protection of the Black Sea.
The Black Sea Commission is an intergovernmental organization responsible for implementing the Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution, which sets the legal framework required for regional cooperation and efforts necessary to reduce pollution and increase protection of the biological diversity. The parties to this Convention, Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, the Russian Federation, Turkey and Ukraine, are all represented in the Commission. The Permanent Secretariat of the Black Sea Commission is hosted in Turkey.
For the benefit of our esteemed media members, we attach the Press Invitation letter containing the contact persons of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry and the Black Sea Commission, the 31 October International Black Sea Day Program Brochure, visuals of the Black Sea Box, exhibitions of Tahsin Ceylan’s ‘Black Sea Underwater Photography’ and the Association for Underwater Purification and Awareness Movement.
We would be delighted to see you among us on 31 October and 1 November 2010 in Trabzon during ‘International Black Sea Day’ activities.
Respectfully,
TURKISH MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTRY
COMMISSION ON THE PROTECTION OF THE BLACK SEA AGAINST POLLUTION, PERMANENT SECRETARIAT