2026-2027 fishing season opens in Istanbul

Following a 4.5-month hunting ban, the fishing season opened in Istanbul as of September 1. The season opening was held on the Kireçburnu coast in Sarıyer with the participation of Istanbul Deputy Governor Mustafa Kaya and Istanbul Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry Suat Parıldar. During the opening ceremony, Deputy Governor Kaya and Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry Parıldar delivered speeches, and Istanbul Provincial Mufti Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emrullah Tuncel recited a prayer for the fishermen.

"We must leave seas full of water, life, and abundance to future generations"

Speaking at the ceremony, Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry Suat Parıldar said, "In our province, more than 14 thousand of our fishermen are partners in our 48 Fisheries Cooperatives. We strive to serve them with our 57 fishing shelters. Our goal is to ensure that our fishermen carry out their activities in more suitable, safer, and more sustainable conditions, and to secure our fishing industry while protecting the resources in our seas. We must allow our fish to reproduce at least once a year. Together, we must leave seas full of water, life, and abundance to future generations. I wish all our fishermen an accident-free, abundant, and productive hunting season."

"The more fish you catch, the cheaper the fish we will eat"

Stating that fishing is a sacred profession and older than agriculture, dating back to the existence of mankind, Deputy Governor Mustafa Kaya said, "Maritime is not a profession that can be done without a love for the sea; you head out at this hour and work until dawn, this is not a job everyone can do. I congratulate all our fishermen from the bottom of my heart. May God protect you from accidents and troubles. May your voyages be fruitful. May your nets be full, God willing. We are waiting for the fish that will come from you. The more fish you catch, the cheaper the fish we will eat. It is one of the most important food sources for all tables, both healthy and natural. I thank you all very much for not depriving our tables of this blessing. I wish our season to be auspicious and successful. Vira Bismillah, good luck. May God clear your path and your fortune," he said.

"We will eat plenty of bonito this year"

Fisherman Captain Ahmet Bakar, who expects an abundance of bonito this year, said, "The 2026-2027 season, God willing, opens as of 00.00 tonight. First of all, I wish my fellow fishermen a prosperous, accident-free, and trouble-free season. There are many signs of bonito fish this year. Our people will eat their fill of bonito, bluefish, and young bluefish. Our seas look very productive this year. There were a lot of anchovies last year, but it wasn't very satisfying. Everyone should fill their freezers well; we might not find this much bonito next year," he said.