People picking endangered sea daffodils in Turkey’s Mediterranean to be fined

ANTALYA

A fine of 38,751 Turkish Liras will be issued for picking endangered and endemic sea daffodils along the coast of the Mediterranean province of Antalya as part of an environmental law.

A few years ago, sea daffodils decorated Antalya’s coasts, which are rich in flora.

However, the number of sea daffodils significantly began to decrease due to environmental unawareness and locals picking them to plant them in their own gardens.

Officials said beach chairs, campers and an increase in hotel construction had endangered the sea daffodil population.

Daycationers who arrive in Antalya’s Çıralı, Kemer, Kumluca and Kaş coasts for fishing, swimming and picnicking, have reportedly destroyed the area of the flowers with their vehicles and used it as a road.

Meanwhile, nature-lovers are trying to protect sea daffodils on the dunes of Antalya’s Lara district.

Fehmi Özcan is one of those nature-lovers. He said they have been trying to do their best for the flowers.

“We have been running the public beach here for 3-4 years. At that time, it was filled with sea daffodils. We were protecting the flowers and were not getting too close. After the municipality took over the beach from us, everyone started picking the daffodils there and very few were left. The rest were taken under protection. We have been struggling to protect them,” he said.

Özcan also warned locals who picked the flowers to plant them in their gardens, saying those flowers would not grow there because they only grow in dunes.