Şahika Ercümen, the World Record Holder Free Diver who has been UNDP Turkey's Life Below Water Advocate for a full year, called on everyone to take urgent action to protect the oceans and seas, which we depend on for our own existence, on the first anniversary of her appointment to this position.

World Record Holder Free Diver Şahika Ercümen who was announced last year on June 8 World Oceans Day as UNDP Turkey’s Life Below Water Advocate, called on everyone to urgently take action to protect the seas and oceans on the occasion of World Environment Day and World Oceans Day, on the first anniversary of her assuming this duty.

Calling to take action for life below water through a video released by UNDP Turkey, Şahika Ercümen stated that oceans and seas are losing oxygen day by day due to pollution, waste, overfishing, invasive alien species and climate change, and said, “We are shaping the planet in the Age of Humans, for better or worse. On this World Environment Day and World Oceans Day, I urge everyone to take action to protect our blue planet, starting with our seas!”

The video voiced by Şahika Ercümen strikingly reveals not only the fascinating images of the ecosystem deep under the blue seas, but also the current problems we have created as humanity that pose a great threat to life below water such as plastic pollution and mucilage.

Şahika Ercümen has participated in many activities to raise awareness about the protection of seas and to be the voice of the seas by joining forces with UNDP Turkey during the last year. She dived in the Bosphorus in order to draw attention to the increasing sea pollution during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the historical sunken city of Halfeti as part of the "Zero Waste Project" under UNDP Turkey's Syria Crisis Response and Resilience Programme. She also dived in Kaş for the "Marine Invasive Alien Species Project" implemented by UNDP and the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to raise awareness about the damage inflicted by lionfish, which is considered as one of the most invasive of invasive alien species, to the seas. UNDP Turkey and Şahika Ercümen continue their work without slowing down in order to raise everyone's awareness about Life Below Water, the 14th of the Global Goals, and to encourage behavioral change.

To watch the video: https://youtu.be/GVTKAvmRjkQ

For more information: Faik Uyanık, UNDP Turkey Head of Communications - faik.uyanik@undp.org