Pearl mullets’ jump for life

VAN - Hürriyet Daily News

The start of the migration of pearl mullets, an endemic fish species found only in Lake Van, has been welcomed in eastern Van with a ceremony held by local authorities. Mullets migrate because they cannot reproduce in salty water. DHA photo

Residents of the eastern province of Van have welcomed the start of the migration of pearl mullets, an endemic fish species found only in Lake Van, with a ceremony held by local authorities. 

The pearl mullet is a species that lives in the highly carbonate waters of Lake Van, but it cannot reproduce there because of the salty quality of the water. 

Van Gov. Münir Karaloğlu said in a speech during the ceremony that the state had failed to protect the rare species in the past and that it had been directly involved in the trade of the fish. 

Once the scientists discovered the migration route it was understood that the fish should never be caught, he said. 

Pearl mullets migrate to streams in May and June for spawning season. The fish comes a long way to reproduce, the governor said, adding that this provided an example for them in attempting to overcome the difficulties after the deadly earthquake of Oct. 23, 2011.