Fishermen gear up as new season approaches

ÇANAKKALE

With just a few days remaining until the fishing ban is lifted, fishermen eagerly anticipate casting their nets into seas, hoping for a bountiful season with abundant catches of bonito and bluefish.

A ban is imposed annually from April 15 to Sept. 1 to ensure sustainable fishing and protect fish eggs. During this four-month period, fishermen repair their boats and fishing gear in preparation for the new season.

Naci Karabiber, the head of a Çanakkale-Tekirdağ union for seafood hunters, noted that they expect to mark a pleasant start of the fishing season on Sept. 1 with the lifting of the ban.

“Once more, we anticipate a historic hunting season this year,” Karabiber said. “Having spent a great deal of time at sea, we are good at observing the sea. We have friends from the Black Sea region, and they are also monitoring the situation. Based on our observations, we anticipate a record-breaking bonito population and, in addition, expect high numbers of bluefish catches this year.” He further clarified that this anticipation suggests a potential decline in anchovy population in the Black Sea region.

"When there are too many bonito and bluefish, there will be small numbers of anchovies in the Black Sea. This is due to the fact that bluefish and bonito feed on anchovy. This implies that the Black Sea's anchovy population is expected to be low, particularly until December,” he said, adding that though January and February will see some population growth, it will not be satisfactory.

However, the Marmara and Aegean Sea will have a fruitful season in terms of anchovy fishing, anticipating high numbers of sardine and chub mackerel alike, according to Karabiber.

Acknowledging that while the last season did not fully meet expectations, it did so to a large extent, Karabiber noted that they are now prepared for the new season with high hopes.

Erhan Çiftçi, the head of a fisheries cooperative, echoed Karabiber’s optimism, emphasizing that they anticipate a better season this year than the last, with high expectations for a fruitful catch of sardines and bonito.

Fisherman Metin Gül, who has been casting his nets out in the seas for 50 years, labeled this season as a “bonito season,” noting that he hopes for a successful and trouble-free season.

As a nation with considerable potential for aquaculture production, Türkiye’s exports of aquaculture products reached $1.7 billion in 2023.

This has resulted in increased exportation targets for 2024, supported by the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry’s policies and initiatives.