As part of efforts to protect the pearl mullet, an endemic species of Lake Van, a three-month fishing ban is imposed during the spawning period from April 15 to July 15, which has just ended.
During that period, fishermen from Van, who hauled their boats ashore for maintenance, now cast their nets into the lake with the end of the ban, saying "Vira bismillah."
"The ban period for the spawning season of the pearl mullet in Lake Van begins between April 15 and July 15. For fishermen, it is an exciting wait from April 15 to July 15 because it is a period of longing for those who are integrated with Lake Van and set out to the lake every day," said assistant professor Mustafa Akkuş at the Faculty of Fisheries at Van Yüzüncü Yıl University (Van YYU).
He continued: "During this 90-day period, they haul their boats ashore, do maintenance, evaluate the past season, and discuss the upcoming season. As of today, the fishing ban in Lake Van has ended. Fishermen have started to reunite with the long-missed Lake Van. We hope this year will be a very productive and fruitful season because the pearl mullet fishing in Lake Van is exemplary for Türkiye."
"Today, we receive bad news about fish from everywhere in our country. There is mucilage in the Sea of Marmara, and the size of the fish in the Black Sea has decreased, but the average size of the pearl mullet in Lake Van has increased, and the fishermen's nets are coming back full. At this point, we need to thank professor Mustafa Sarı because we see that the fishery management model he prepared has yielded very successful and productive results after years of implementation. We hope this year will be a fruitful season that makes the fishermen happy," he said.
