Season for ice-fishing begins on Lake Çıldır

ARDAHAN - Doğan News Agency

The Kılıç family is fishing on the lake. ‘We make our money from the cold’ they say. DHA photo

The ice-fishing season has begun on Lake Çıldır in Ardahan after the body of water, the second largest in eastern Anatolia, completely froze over thanks to temperatures that have plunged to minus 25 degrees Celsius.

“The weather is very cold but we make our money from the cold. We come here every day and take the fish in our fishing net. The number of fish is different everyday, we sometimes catch no fish,” said Pınar Kılıç, a fisherman in the area.

The lake’s ice cover is currently 30 centimeters thick, according to reports.

KIlıç, however, said there were fewer fish in the lake compared to previous years because of the increasing number of lobsters in the water.

Ardahan Mayor Nurettin Aygün, meanwhile, said they had organized a convention on Lake Çıldır in partnership with Ardahan University to prevent the extinction of large carp in the lake.

“We have seen that large carp are close to dying out in the lake and thought about what to do to prevent it. During the congress, we prepared a project and we will learn the results of the project next year,” the mayor said.

“Nearly 40 scientists will make a report on how to rescue species in the lake. Fishing will be brought under control,” he said.