The fishing ban has ended, and the first fish of the season have been caught in Istanbul.

With the end of the fishing ban that started on April 15, fishermen caught the first fish of the new season tonight.

In Istanbul, with the lifting of the fishing ban in the seas as of September 1, the first fish caught were sold in the early morning hours. The first fish caught by fishermen at Gürpınar Fish Market were sold through auction, reaching their owners. Fishermen stated that they expect a large catch of four types of fish in September, primarily mackerel, sardine, horse mackerel, and sprat.

Speaking about the first fish of the new season, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) Secretary General Can Akın Çağlar expressed, “A season that starts with mackerel means abundance and prosperity. We just saw that there is a plentiful amount of mackerel on the stalls. Hopefully, this leading indicator continues throughout the season. Our fishermen will benefit from this, and our people will enjoy delicious fish at affordable prices.”

Fisherman Ceyhun İskele expressed his expectations for a high volume of mackerel and horse mackerel this season, stating, “Right now, there seems to be a concentration of mackerel. Hopefully, we will start with mackerel. It is said that we will follow with horse mackerel if the weather permits. Anchovy and sardine are already our essentials. Sprat might be a bit less. The variety will continue, but this year it seems our people will eat fish.

Since fish is currently the most natural and healthiest food, when mackerel becomes abundant, we invite our people to eat mackerel. They should definitely take advantage of September, October, and November. They should fill their freezers because right now the healthiest fish coming from the Marmara and Black Sea are our mackerel, bluefish, and horse mackerel. Today, due to the opening of the seasons, fish might be a bit scarce. Prices will start to decline the day after tomorrow. It is estimated that mackerel will be sold at stalls for between 100 and 200 TL each. This means it is one of the cheapest and healthiest foods compared to other meats on the market. Hopefully, we are looking forward to a bountiful season.”

Fisherman Yunus Emre Çimen expressed that they are expecting a good season and want to provide affordable fish to the public, saying, “We are happy and eager. We will work with all our strength. As the fish grow, their price will become more reasonable.”