While fish diversity can still be observed at fish markets in the Black Sea, scientific data shows that fish stocks are declining. Dr. Ahmet Şahin, a faculty member at Karadeniz Technical University's Sürmene Faculty of Marine Sciences, stated that there has been a significant drop in species such as anchovy and horse mackerel, especially over the last 15 years. Şahin expressed that this situation is based on two main reasons: pollution and overfishing.
Dr. Şahin emphasized that pollution along the Black Sea coast has increased due to garbage and biological waste, and that this is negatively affecting fish stocks.
He also noted that overfishing and incorrect fishing techniques applied by fishermen play a significant role in the depletion of stocks. He stated that the Ministry of Agriculture has been developing new laws and practices to solve these problems, but that a full recovery has not yet been achieved.
Touching upon the speculations regarding the duration of fishing bans, Şahin stated that such decisions should be made based on scientific data.
Stating that sea water temperatures affect the reproductive cycle of fish, Şahin said that for this reason, fishing bans should be determined by taking water temperature and the reproductive cycles of fish into account. Emphasizing that the Ministry of Agriculture and universities should follow this process together, Şahin stated that decisions must be supported by data from the field.
News Source: 12punto
