The fishermen set sail into the sea saying ‘Vira Bismillah’.

With the end of the fishing ban in the seas as of September 1, fishermen set sail saying “Vira Bismillah”. The fishing ban, which started on April 15, has ended. Fishermen, who were maintaining their boats and repairing their nets, said “Vira Bismillah” with the end of the fishing ban on September 1. The Fishing Season Opening Ceremony held at the Yoroz harbor in the Çarşıbaşı district of Trabzon was attended by Trabzon Governor Aziz Yıldırım, AK Party Trabzon Members of Parliament Mustafa Şen, Vehbi Koç, Secretary General of Trabzon Metropolitan Municipality Gürkan Üçüncü, Eastern Black Sea Coast Guard Group Commander Major Aytaç Bayırlı, Akçaabat Mayor Osman Nuri Ekim, district mayors, and fishermen. After a moment of silence and the reading of the National Anthem, a performance by the Trabzon Metropolitan Municipality Mehter team and a horon dance performance were held. After the recitation of the Quran, Trabzon Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry İsa Kaplan gave a speech, stating, “There are 1,019 fishing vessels in our province. 23 auxiliary fishing vessels. Together with 31 licensed vessels operating in marine cage enterprises, they continue their activities. There are also 6,112 crew members with individual licenses engaged in marine fishing.”

“I wish for a bountiful season”

Trabzon Governor Aziz Yıldırım, in his speech, expressed his wish for a bountiful fishing season, stating, “You will set sail at 00:01 tonight and cast your nets saying ‘Vira Bismillah’. I wish you a fruitful season. The seas are not places with infinite products. They have their own rules. No sea, except for the Sea of Marmara, belongs solely to one state. Once, we were present in the world’s seas. We will be again. We are the descendants of Barbaros. May next season be much more fruitful than the previous one. May it be abundant in production. I hope all our fishermen have a season without accidents, that they can catch a lot of fish, and that they can place them on the market without drying up the seas, and that they can sell them under more favorable economic conditions. We pray for abundance. Abundance is not merely quantity. The meaning of abundance is different in our culture and belief. Therefore, I wish for what you catch to be fruitful, rather than just catching a lot of fish,” he said.

After the opening speeches, the fishermen set sail saying “Vira Bismillah” following a prayer made by Trabzon Provincial Mufti Selami Aydın.