Fishermen in Düzce and Bartın struggle with low catches this season, leading to early dockings amid global warming and fishing pressure.
In the significant fishing ports of Akçakoca and Amasra in the Western Black Sea, fishermen are struggling to find the expected quantities of fish this season due to global warming and increased fishing pressure.
Many fishermen have been forced to dock their boats months before the season's end, leading to necessary repairs on their boats and nets.
Mustafa Karakaş, President of the Akçakoca Fisheries Cooperative, noted that the fishing season should have started with bonito, but the late cooling of the Black Sea waters resulted in its absence. He emphasized that fishing is highly dependent on weather conditions, stating, "The absence of bonito this year caused purse seiners to open the anchovy season early. They caught anchovy early in the warm weather. Not only bonito but other fish species were also scarce. Trawling was focused on anchovy, which came early and left early due to temperature conditions. At this point, we do not have high expectations from the sea. We had a bad season."
Karakaş further expressed concerns about the impact of global warming on fishing, explaining, "Due to global warming, the sea water does not reach the desired cold or warm temperatures during the season. As a result, fish are no longer staying in our sea. During the spawning period, the sea inexplicably either cools down or heats up. Consequently, both bonito and anchovy have started to leave our waters. This situation has brought traditional coastal fishing to the brink of extinction. Most purse seiners have already ceased operations before the season ended."
He also pointed out that the fishing pressure from fishermen contributes to the low fish quantities, stating, "There are about 800 purse seiners across Turkey, most of which operate in the Black Sea. The Black Sea is an inland sea, and there is excessive fishing pressure. Our equipment, boats, and nets are very large, leaving fish with little chance of escaping. A significant portion of Turkey's anchovy needs is met by the Black Sea, which can only withstand this level of fishing. This year, a quota of around 450,000 tons was set, but before reaching this, anchovy left the Black Sea."
Tayfun Orhan, President of the Amasra Fisheries Cooperative, echoed Karakaş's sentiments, stating that fishermen have not had a good season. He noted that the fishing season, which was supposed to end on April 15, has come close to closing months in advance, saying, "Right now, the stalls are empty; there is almost no fish. We had a bad season this year; fishermen did not find what they hoped for."
Reha Kavcı, a fisherman with 25 years of experience in the district, reported a poor season, with fishing boats returning to port with only 3-5 crates of fish. He remarked on the lack of cooling in the sea, which has led to low catches of all species, especially bonito and anchovy. "We have hardly seen the abundance of previous years. We saw a little anchovy, but that disappeared; there was no bonito at all, and if there was, it did not reflect on the stalls. We have not seen any chub mackerel or bluefish at the stalls. There were a few whiting, red mullet, and horse mackerel. We have no hope for the future. We might close the season early. Our boats are working with crews; they cannot operate with just 3-5 crates. There has been a significant decline in fishing this year."
Source: www.denizhaber.com
