During the summer season, sea snails are providing an economic contribution to the livelihood of fishermen.

During the summer season, the livelihood of fishermen, the sea snail, provides millions of dollars in foreign exchange income to the country each year, while fishermen collect them by diving instead of using the banned tool called algarina. As of June last year, the sea snail export from the Black Sea region provided a foreign exchange income of 4,742,541 dollars, while this year during the same period, a foreign exchange income of 5,069,390 dollars was generated. Sea snail exports are mainly made to the People’s Republic of China, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and some European countries. Fisherman Erkan Acuner, who stated that they collect sea snails by diving since the use of algarina (a fishing tool consisting of a frame and net) that scans the seabed is banned, said, ‘Since algarina is currently banned, they are extracted by diving. There are not many sea snails at the moment, but still, we say God bless whatever we can find. Sea snails are generally exported to Far East countries, especially Italy, France, among other countries. When there is abundant catch, it becomes economically satisfactory, but these days, since there are fewer, it cannot be said to be very satisfying. The snails are usually found at the bottom of rocks, where the sand meets the rock, and we try to collect them by diving. From Istanbul to Igneada, Hopa, diving is currently being done in different seas of Turkey. We can say that there are about 25 boats fishing for snails in Trabzon. We can collect an average of 600-700 kilograms daily. Depending on the current situation and visibility, 3-4 people can collect. Diving is difficult because it is completely manual labor. Snail fishing is easier in our waters compared to the Aegean and other seas because our waters are shallower. Therefore, we dive into shallower areas, making it a bit easier, as depth increases as we go west. Snails are not consumed much in Turkey. The shell is used in the cosmetics industry, while the inside is exported as canned food.