Ministry’s decision to lift fishing ban in Bosphorus canceled

ISTANBUL

The decision of the Transportation and Infrastructure Ministry to lift the fishing ban in the Bosphorus for 14 hours for industrial fishing on Nov. 6 has been canceled on the grounds that the ecological corridor of fish species would be damaged.

The decision of the ministry to open the Bosphorus to unlimited fishing on Nov. 6 had drawn criticism from scientists and non-governmental organizations.

Experts arguing that the marine ecosystem would be greatly damaged emphasized that though species such as bonito and bluefish were hunted abundantly this year, they would be hunted at a much lesser rate than expected in the coming years.

Moreover, the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry stressed that the Bosphorus, an important biological corridor, is protected by Fisheries Law No. 1380 and that hunting can be done in free areas.

It is very important to prevent overfishing in order to ensure sustainable fisheries, said Saadet Karakulak, a member of Istanbul University’s Marine Sciences Faculty.

“We need to preserve the ecological balance so that fish with high economic value such as bonito, bluefish, bluefish, toric and anchovy can be eaten by future generations,” said Erdoğan Kartal, the head of the Aquaculture Cooperatives Association in Istanbul.

The protection of the Bosphorus, which is a transition between the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea, means the protection of many fish species and the provision of sustainable fisheries, he added.