2024-09-01 16:08:33
This morning at dawn, thousands of fishing boats in Turkey took to the open sea for the first catch of fish. The new fishing season has begun after the months during which it was prohibited, reports BTA correspondent Nahide Deniz.
The fishing season, which traditionally opens every year on September 1, is a significant event in Turkey, whose shores are bathed by four seas.
The opening of the new fishing season traditionally takes place in the maritime areas at dawn on September 1 with a traditional ritual sending the fishermen out to sea with the wish “Vira bismillah”, which means “raise the anchor, nasluka”. The ritual is traditionally attended by responsible figures in the sector, heads of companies, etc.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends the New Season Ceremony at Yeni Kapu Pier in Istanbul.
In his speech, he indicated that the seas must be protected in order to ensure the sustainability of fishing, stressing that there are shortcomings in this direction, informs TRT Haber.
“In the 2023-2024 season, the annual fish production exceeded 1 million tons for the first time, adding a new record to the previous ones. We break records not only in production, but also in exports every year. Last year we exported to about 100 countries, 40 percent of which are members of the European Union. Thus, we provided a profit of 1.7 billion dollars to the country’s economy. I would like to thank our fishermen who contributed to all these successes,” Erdogan said.
The leader of the opposition People’s Republican Party, Özgür Özel, who was with the fishermen at the port of Rumelifineri near the Black Sea in Istanbul, indicated in his speech that “Turkey should have a Ministry of Fish and a responsible minister”.
Already on the first day of the new fishing season, the nets of Istanbul fishermen in the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea were filled with bonito, black carp and saffron. For several hours, dozens of fishermen in the Sea of Marmara near Yalova and Kocaeli collected the fish from the nets and filled the crates, which they delivered to the fish exchange, local media reported.
Representatives of the Aquatic Products Cooperative in Gürpanar, near Istanbul, said that in September they expect a good catch of bonito, saffron and sardines, as well as sardines.
“We saw that the season started with a rich catch of abalone. We hope it will continue like this. The fishermen will win and the population will eat cheap fish,” the general secretary of the Istanbul Greater Municipality Can Akan Saglar told journalists.
Fishermen’s cooperatives in Istanbul are optimistic about the season.
At the moment, there is quite a lot of bonito, we will start with, we will continue with halibut if the weather is favorable, and anchovy and sardine are traditional, says Ceyhun Iskele of the Black Sea port of Istanbul Rumelifeneri.
The fishing season in the Mediterranean will start on September 15.
According to experts, the periodic ban on fishing in Turkey, which applies from April 15 to September 1, helps to preserve the balance of the marine ecosystem. The aim is to restore fish stocks and ensure the breeding of fish species, they say.
In Turkey, which is surrounded by four seas, fish farming and fishing are an important industrial sector and a pillar of the country’s exports. The sector provides income to millions of families.
According to statistics, the average monthly salary of a professional fisherman is about 35 thousand Turkish lira (1,812 BGN), depending on the experience, the position, the company.
About 19,000 are officially registered professional/industrial fishing vessels, but it is believed to be more.
One of the large cooperatives is in Trabzon, which is the leading county in the Black Sea region of Turkey. It is mainly known for catching bonito and anchovies, which are mostly fished in this region. Black Sea salmon also comes from this region.
During the season, fresh fish occupies a central place on the Turkish table. Last season, a number of fish species were massively bought because of the cheaper prices compared to other food products.
This season, we expect an increase in the price of the market due to increased costs (fuel, etc.), but we hope that the prices will not be much higher compared to other food items, so our people will still have the opportunity to eat fish, said Mustafa Kyuciuk from the Istanbul Fish Exchange.