Akdeniz Koruma Derneği

What Akdeniz Koruma Derneği does

Akdeniz Koruma Derneği is a Turkish nonprofit association headquartered in Bornova, Türkiye, founded in 2012 with 11-50 employees. The organization conducts marine conservation, species monitoring, sustainable fishery, and environmental education projects, with its disclosed activity focused on the Mediterranean coastline. Its primary documented initiative is a pilot lionfish removal and resale program that purchases invasive lionfish from small-scale fishers and sells them onward, simultaneously reducing ecological harm and generating supplementary income for local fishing communities. The pilot reports 5 tonnes purchased, 2.5+ tonnes sold, and more than 500 beneficiaries supported.

The organization's business model is nonprofit and grant- rather than commercially-driven, with no pricing or revenue figures disclosed in available sources. Its income-generation pathway for beneficiaries is community-based direct sales, in which the association acts as intermediary between fishers who supply the invasive catch and downstream buyers. The customer base is geographically and segmentally narrow: small-scale fishers in Türkiye's Mediterranean coastal regions, served through direct field engagement rather than digital channels.

Akdeniz Koruma Derneği's strategic position rests on its role as the in-country Türkiye partner in the Invasive Alien Species Collaborative Initiative led by Fauna & Flora and IUCN, with the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) as a supporting framework. The initiative frames invasive alien species as one of the top five drivers of global biodiversity loss and a contributor to 60% of extinctions, lending the organization access to international conservation frameworks. No proprietary technology, AI/ML capability, patents, leadership-team data, or historical financial information is disclosed; the organization's website was inaccessible during data collection.

Name

Akdeniz Koruma Derneği

Legal name

Akdeniz Koruma Derneği

Website

https://akdenizkoruma.org.tr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Akdeniz Koruma Derneği is a Turkish nonprofit association that conducts marine conservation, invasive-species removal, sustainable fishery, and environmental education projects along Türkiye's Mediterranean coast, serving small-scale fishing communities through community-based lionfish removal and resale.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Conservation Services

NAICS

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting (11)

SIC

Fishing, Hunting And Trapping (900)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Aquaculture Health, Biosecurity & Veterinary Services (AFAEAAAK)

Keywords

• Marine conservation
• Invasive species management
• Sustainable fishery
• Biodiversity protection
• Environmental education

Headquarters

HQ city

Bornova

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Core offering

Akdeniz Koruma Derneği conducts marine conservation projects on Türkiye's Mediterranean coast, including a pilot program that purchases invasive lionfish from local small-scale fishers and resells the catch to generate income for affected communities. The organization also supports sustainable fishery practices, conducts species monitoring, and delivers environmental education programs as part of broader biodiversity protection efforts.

Product overview

Akdeniz Koruma Derneği is a Turkish conservation organization focused on biodiversity protection and sustainable marine resource management. Their work includes pilot projects addressing invasive alien species, such as the lionfish mitigation initiative in Türkiye, which supports small-scale fishers and local communities by purchasing and selling invasive lionfish to generate income while reducing ecological harm.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Supported income for more than 500 beneficiaries through lionfish removal and sales
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fauna & FloracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead international conservation partner for the Invasive Alien Species Collaborative Initiative. Fauna & Flora, together with IUCN, is addressing invasive species as one of the top five drivers of global biodiversity loss. Akdeniz Koruma Derneği serves as the local Türkiye partner implementing the pilot lionfish removal project.
• IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-lead organization for the Invasive Alien Species Collaborative Initiative alongside Fauna & Flora, supported by the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures. The initiative addresses invasive alien species contributing to 60% of extinctions globally.
• Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting organization for the Invasive Alien Species Collaborative Initiative, providing framework support for businesses to address nature-related financial risks including invasive alien species.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature): Global authority on biodiversity conservation and species status, co-leading the Invasive Alien Species Collaborative Initiative with Fauna & Flora. IUCN's marine and species programs overlap directly with AKD's invasive species and ecosystem-management work.
• Conservation International: Global conservation NGO with significant marine and biodiversity finance programs, including work on invasive species and nature-positive outcomes for coastal communities — directly comparable mission space to AKD at a much larger scale.
• Oceana: International ocean advocacy and conservation organization working on sustainable fisheries and marine biodiversity — directly comparable marine conservation mission to AKD with a more policy-driven model.
• The Nature Conservancy: Large international conservation organization with marine, fisheries, and invasive species programs globally. Operates a comparable mission around ecosystem protection and sustainable ocean use.
• Fauna & Flora: International conservation NGO and AKD's lead partner on the Invasive Alien Species Collaborative Initiative. Fauna & Flora operates a global portfolio of biodiversity programs across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems, making it a directly comparable marine conservation peer at greater scale.

Others

• Sea Shepherd Conservation Society: Marine conservation organization focused on ocean ecosystem protection. Comparable in mission space (marine biodiversity defense) but operates through direct-action enforcement rather than community livelihoods models.

Regional players

• BLUE Oceans for Sustainability: Foundation active in Mediterranean marine conservation and sustainable fisheries programs. Comparable regional nonprofit peer working at the intersection of biodiversity and coastal livelihoods.
• Mediterranean Conservation Society: Regional nonprofit working on Mediterranean marine biodiversity and fisheries sustainability. Comparable to AKD in targeting the same basin with a community-based, conservation-and-livelihoods approach.

Direct peers

• Reef Conservation: Nonprofit dedicated to coral reef and Mediterranean marine ecosystem conservation. Highly comparable in geography (Mediterranean focus) and marine biodiversity mandate to AKD.
• WWF-Türkiye (Doğal Hayatı Koruma Derneği): Turkish affiliate of WWF focused on biodiversity conservation, sustainable fisheries, and marine ecosystem protection. Comparable in geography, nonprofit status, and marine/sustainable-fishery mandate to AKD.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/akdenizkoruma
• Facebookfacebook.com/akdenizkoruma
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/akdenizkoruma

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Akdeniz Koruma Derneği