Fish species decline rapidly in Marmara

ISTANBUL

A few days prior to the start of the fishing ban, fishermen say this season has not been productive, while an expert attributes the decrease in the species in Marmara to overfishing and pollution.

The amount of seafood caught in Türkiye is decreasing every year. Although the end of the season is days away, fishermen have not yet found what they expected this year, and overfishing and marine pollution are considered among the main reasons for this negative trend.

Prof. Dr. Bayram Öztürk, academic at Istanbul University Faculty of Aquatic Sciences and president of the Turkish Marine Research Foundation (TÜDAV), stated that the last turbot was seen in the Marmara Sea, and now it is gone with many other species such as mackerel, tuna, sole and tern.

According to TURKSTAT data, while the quantity of fish obtained in 2011, which was the most productive period over the last 10 years, was 514,755 tons, it decreased to 328,165 tons in 2021.

Explaining the reasons for the decline, Öztürk stated that overfishing is one of the biggest reasons for this situation, with the second being marine pollution.

Öztürk advised that in terms of protecting the ecosystem, there needs to be serious planning to address the pollution in the Marmara Sea.

Emphasizing the importance of shrimp overfishing and how it impacts other sea animals as well, Öztürk said that shrimp is the most crucial element of biodiversity as it is at the very bottom of the food chain in the Marmara Sea.

“If we can maintain the sustainability of shrimp farming, we can also ensure that small fishermen can continue fishing. While reducing the number of boats, we need to switch to regional fishing,” he added.

Expressing all fishermen’s concerns, Erkan Sarıyaprak, who has been a fishmonger for 35 years, said that “we will only see fish in photographs” if this situation continues.