The Göcek-Dalaman buoy project is revised to reduce boat capacity and protect seagrass, following a court ruling and new environmental assessments.
A revision has been initiated following a court decision regarding the 'Mapa and Buoy Project,' aimed at organizing yacht tourism and protecting seagrass in the Göcek-Dalaman bays of Muğla. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process has officially started for the new version of the project, while the mooring capacity has been reduced from 864 to 856 boats.
A new phase has begun in the 'Mapa and Buoy Project,' which encompasses the Göcek-Dalaman bays, one of Turkey's significant marine tourism centers in Muğla.
Following a decision made by the Muğla 2nd Administrative Court in July 2026, a comprehensive revision was carried out in the project, which is conducted by the Turkish Environmental Agency (TÜÇA). The court unanimously suspended the previously issued 'EIA Not Required' decision based on an expert report.
After the ruling, the project was reorganized, and the Project Introduction File (PTD) prepared by the Turkish Environmental Agency Presidency was submitted to the Muğla Governorship. After the review of the file under Article 16 of the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation, the EIA process for the project was initiated.
PROJECT AREA REDUCED
Significant changes have been made to the project as part of the revision. The project area, which was previously planned to be 90.20 square kilometers, has been reduced to 86.73 square kilometers. The number of planned bays has also been decreased from 20 to 17.
Hamam Bay and Domuz Island have been removed from the project scope, and the planned floating pontoon systems in Göcek Center have been canceled.
The previously planned 22 service pontoons and their associated 88 moorings have also been excluded from the revised project.
All land moorings have been removed from the project, and instead, marine moorings to be installed in the sea have been planned. Changes have also been made to the buoy systems, with the positions of the moorings and buoys rearranged to protect the seagrass.
856 BOATS CAN BE MORED
After the revision, the boat mooring capacity has been reduced from 864 to 856 boats. The project plans to include a total of 876 buoys, 876 moorings, and 896 marine moorings.
The new capacity distribution is as follows:
5-8 meters: 80 boats
8-20 meters: 429 boats
Alagra mooring system: 89 boats
20-40 meters: 238 boats
Over 40 meters: 20 boats
With the new arrangement, the capacity for small boats has decreased, while the mooring capacity allocated for medium and large boats has been increased.
GOAL IS TO PROTECT SEAGRASS
The primary goal of the project is to ensure the safe and controlled mooring of boats in the Göcek-Dalaman bays and to reduce the damage caused by uncontrolled anchoring to the marine ecosystem.
Particularly, the protection of Posidonia oceanica seagrass is among the project's priorities. Additionally, the protection of the seabed, preventing boats from mooring to coastal trees, improving waste management, and preserving underwater archaeological values are also targeted.
The project file states that the locations of the moorings and buoys are based on reports prepared by marine biologists and hydrobiologists. It is noted that concrete mooring blocks will be placed in areas without seagrass, and no seabed scanning or correction work will be conducted during installation.
'NO NEW BOAT CAPACITY WILL BE CREATED'
One of the notable evaluations in the revised project file is the statement that the system does not aim to attract additional boats to the region.
The file indicates that the project aims to direct boats currently using the Göcek-Dalaman bays to a registered and controlled mooring system rather than creating new boat capacity.
If operated at full capacity, it is anticipated that approximately 7,160 people could be accommodated on the 856 boats moored in the system.
PLANNED TO BE COMPLETED IN 180 DAYS
The installation works are planned to be carried out in two shifts a day for six months a year and to be completed within a total of 180 days. It is stated that approximately 70 personnel will be employed during the construction phase, and the existing operations will not be interrupted during the works.
During the operational phase, a total of 44 personnel are expected to work in three shifts.
The Coast Guard Command has also reported that there are no security concerns regarding the project, while two floating pontoon systems have been removed from the project as part of the revision.
The new version of the project, which aims to organize yacht tourism in the Göcek-Dalaman bays and reduce environmental impacts, will take shape after the EIA assessment to be conducted in the following process.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
