57 Days of Vigil in Rize Pazar: Women of Fishing Village Resist Cage Farm

Residents of Balıkçı village in Pazar district, Rize, have been maintaining a 57-day vigil at Zelek Harbor to oppose an industrial-scale cage fish farm planned for their coast; female fishers are leading the action. Local resident Ibrahim Oğuz argues that the project obtained environmental impact assessment approval through Merdivenli village, which has no direct connection to the sea, and contends that this approval is legally problematic.

Oğuz notes that the facilities are positioned approximately 2 km from the airport and could increase bird activity, thereby threatening flight safety. Hacer Yüzseven, spokesperson for the female fishers, says the project will destroy traditional fishing.

Yeni Party Group Vice-Chairman Gökhan Günaydın visited the vigil site and listened to the residents' demands. Residents point out that most of their legal appeals have yielded no results; similar cage farm projects on the Black Sea coast have previously encountered local resistance.