Fishing Quotas and Regulations Reassessed
· akdenizgercek.com.tr
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has implemented new regulations for commercial and recreational fishing, including revised quotas, size standards, and protected areas, aimed at preserving marine ecosystems and fish stocks.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has published a comprehensive package of regulations for fisheries to protect marine ecosystems and ensure sustainability. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry stated the following in its official announcement:
Under the new regulations, the Three Islands area in Kemer district of Antalya has been declared a protected zone, while a ban on sea urchin fishing has been imposed along the Mediterranean coast between May 1 and October 31.
Within the framework of production planning in commercial fisheries, quotas have been introduced for horse mackerel, and its use in industry has been restricted. According to Ministry data, the minimum size limit for horse mackerel has been reduced from 13 centimeters to 12 centimeters. In the Black Sea, the start of anchovy and horse mackerel fishing using purse seines and midwater trawls has been postponed to September 15. For sole fish, the fishing ban has been set between February 1 and March 14, with the mesh size adjusted to 72 millimeters. Additionally, a permit requirement has been introduced for sprat fishing between April 15 and May 15, with fishing hours limited to between 05:00 and 20:00.
The regulation package also introduced new rules aimed at protecting maritime safety and ecosystem balance in recreational fishing activities. A mandatory official permit has been introduced for those engaged in recreational fishing from boats or vessels at sea, and it has been announced that this permit can be issued to all citizens who have reached the age of 15. Recreational fishing has been restricted in the traffic separation zones of the Istanbul and Çanakkale straits. Furthermore, recreational fishing has been completely banned on sensitive floating islands in inland waters, and the fishing of bluefin tuna has been made subject to special permits.
| Value | Period | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| 12 centimeters | New period | Minimum catchable size limit for horse mackerel |
| 13 centimeters | Previous period | Old minimum size limit for horse mackerel |
| 72 millimeters | New period | Sole mesh size |
| 15 years | New period | Minimum age limit for amateur fishing license |