Eastern Black Sea Fishermen Cooperatives Union President Ahmet Mutlu, speaking to the Anatolia news agency, said despite an optimistic start to the new fishing season in the Black Sea, the amount of fish caught was promising but insufficient.
Noting that recent temperatures and, consequently, the temperature of the water are higher when compared to previous years, which means fish will remain in the colder, deep water without coming up to feed, Mutlu said: “The most important reason why the numbers of fish caught have been so low is the temperature of the seawater. We know that there are fish in the deeper water. However, the hot weather and an increase in the temperature of the seawater prevent them from coming to the surface. This year is warmer than past years. Our sole hope is a drop in temperatures in the coming days.”
Mutlu further noted that fishermen are catching bonito off the coast of Samsun and Sinop. “The fishermen from that region report plenty of bonito. Yesterday, a boat of ours caught some 300 boxes of bonito. Still, fishermen are expecting a cool down in temperatures and an increase in fish,” he said. Eager for a good catch, Mutlu added: “Hopefully, we will be able to provide cheap fish. We want a good catch for our fishermen and a cheap supply of fish for the market.”
