Ahead of migration season for pearl mullets, a species endemic to Lake Van, Turkish authorities look to ensure a smooth time for the precious fish. Mostly occupied with handling illegal migration, the Turkish Coast Guard Command will be on hand for "legal" migration this time for pearl mullets, which leave for fresh water during mating season.
The pearl mullet is the main source of income for about 15,000 people living on the coast of Lake Van, which stretches from the eponymous eastern province to three districts of the neighboring Bitlis province. A fishing ban starting on April 15 and ending on July 15, will help the preservation of the fish, which migrates upstream, "flying" like salmon in the face of obstacles.
Coast guard officers will patrol the lake around the clock, on alert against illegal fishing across the body of water covering an area of 3,713 square kilometers (1,433 square miles), as well as nearby streams connected to the lake. Equipped with thermal cameras, night vision goggles and high-tech radars, the coast guard crews are bad news for illegal hunters. On land, police and gendarmerie forces are on high alert for the potential sale of illegally hunted fish.
Van Governor Mehmet Emin Bilmez told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Sunday that they would also employ drones to comb the areas with the potential for illegal hunters.
Bilmez said the mating season would be fine this year for pearl mullets as a high rate of precipitation filled streams where they head to from Lake Van. Bilmez said years of preservation efforts increased the population of pearl mullets, rescuing it from joining other endangered species. "Current estimates put the fish stock to more than 50,000 tons here at Lake Van. Yearly catch is around 10,000 tons. The fish is more meaty as well in recent years," the governor said, noting that one-third of the fish caught in landlocked areas in all of Turkey was caught in Lake Van now.
Known scientifically as "alburnus tarichi," and also commonly as tarek, Van fish or "inci kefali" in Turkish, pearl mullets are truly tested by their habitat. The salinity of the water hinders them from reproducing in the largest soda/alkaline lake on Earth. Consequently, they migrate through the lake’s tributaries to spawn. This transition is a challenge in itself. If the switch from salty to freshwater is too sudden, it can be lethal. Hence, the fish wait it out to adjust to the new conditions. Measuring about 20 centimeters (7.87 inches) in length, the lively mullets try to jump four times higher than their size, overcoming obstacles including a 70-centimeter-high waterfall on their way to lay their eggs. Once the females manage to lay their eggs, the males follow them to leave milt. Then, in about a week, new baby fish hatch into the world. Following this, the fish return to the lake within a month.