The 2024-2025 fishing season started with events in Didim.

The fishing season, which ends on April 15, 2024, was celebrated with an opening ceremony in Didim, as it will restart on September 1. The event in Didim was attended by Aydın Governor Yakup Canbolat.

An opening event was organized before the fishing season, which will start on September 1, led by the Aydın Province Fishery Producers and Breeders Union and the Didim Fishermen’s Association. The ceremony took place at the Taşburun Fishermen’s Harbor in Didim and was attended by Aydın Governor Yakup Canbolat, Didim District Governor Can Kazım Kuruca, Didim Garrison Commander Colonel Erkut Arslan, Aydın Provincial Agriculture Director İbrahim Altıntaş, representatives of political parties and civil society organizations, fishermen, and the people of Didim.

The program began with a moment of silence and the National Anthem, followed by an opening speech by Ramazan Özkaya, the President of the Central Union of Fishery Cooperatives. Speaking about the fishing season, Özkaya stated, “I wish the 2024-2025 fishing season to be beneficial and without mistakes or accidents. Our seas have remained abundant and fertile, inherited from our ancestors. We fish with a suitable system over stocks to leave abundant seas for future generations. Our duty is to ensure that future generations do not drift away from fishing and that young generations remain within the fishing sector. The best example of this is the introduction of quotas for anchovies, which are also included in the agricultural product planning regulations this year. The goal is to conduct sustainable fishing, allowing anchovies, which we call the pride of Turkey, to be present on every table and in every home as food, necessary for the development of our children’s brains and bones. We have a saying: Our home is the fishermen’s harbor, our field is the sea. We have nowhere else to go. Therefore, it is primarily our duty as fishermen, not just the Ministry of Coast Guard, to protect the seas. Because we earn our bread from the sea, protecting the seas is our responsibility. We also need to keep the fishermen’s shelters very clean. There is good work being done here. I thank Mr. Tolga here as the operator. But it has come a bit late. I hope we won’t see these issues again when he comes back. Because we truly must keep our home clean. And I believe we must do whatever it takes for this.”

“This year is the year of bonito”
Özkaya emphasized that this year will be the year of bonito, saying, “We will see bonito on every household table. There is an incredible amount of bonito. This pleases us. Because we really hope that fish, which are very clean food, will be present on every table, and we strive for this. For this reason, both consumers and we are lucky. However, we want to say this to consumers: Fish are not just the property of fishermen; they belong to all 85 million of you, the entire public. If you want to keep eating fish here and leave fish for future generations, please do not consume fish that do not comply with size limits, time limits, or engage in illegal fishing. Because if you consume them, you will harm our future. We, as fishermen, also tell our fellow fishermen here to fish in accordance with the regulations. We believe that they should not engage in overfishing. Because with the quota, it will also apply to other fish in the future. Why? Because there has been a reduction of 150,000 tons in our stocks over the last fifteen years. If we do not ensure recovery in the medium term, we need to reach the old figure of 600,000 tons in the long term. Therefore, we need supervision. Inspections are being carried out, but we see that there are some deficiencies. Because we truly have a very extensive coastal structure. It is impossible to prevent from everywhere. We want inspections. Sustainability is a must for us. We absolutely must ensure sustainability,” he said.

Aydın Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Director İbrahim Altıntaş stated, “Our country is one of the lucky countries with suitable natural and artificial quality water resources for aquaculture. Our province has 150 km of coastline, five fishermen’s shelters, 210 registered fishing vessels, 1,781 fishermen with fishing licenses for real persons, and 3,164 amateur fishermen with amateur fishing licenses, making it a province with a very high potential for aquatic products. Additionally, we have 12 Aquaculture Cooperatives in our province and one Aquaculture Cooperatives Aydın Central Union to which these cooperatives are affiliated. To ensure sustainable fishing and protect the rights of fishermen who are fishing legally, 7-24 inspections are being carried out in the seas, inland waters, exit points, transportation routes, fishing vessels, fish markets, fish meal and oil factories, and retail sales locations. In our province, our district directorates have conducted inspections at 476 points in 2023, totaling 50,137 inspections, and 2,488 inspections at 427 points in the first six months of 2024. Everyone knows very well that the fish population in our seas is not infinite. The aquatic wealth of our country must be sustained in a sustainable manner by considering scientific, environmental, economic, and social factors, requiring the sustainable management of fishery resources within the balance of protection and use. Compliance with the rules set regarding fishing is of great importance. We recommend that our valuable fishermen offer the aquatic products they provide to the public with great effort and diligence, which have countless benefits for human nutrition, especially in the development of children and the health of adults, to be consumed abundantly by our people,” he said.

Finally, Aydın Governor Yakup Canbolat addressed the issue of marine pollution, stating, “I am happy to be with you on the occasion of the opening of the 2024-2025 fishing season. From this night onward, our fishermen will set sail, saying Bismillah, and will seek their livelihoods over the next seven and a half months. Within the scope of fisheries and fishing, our Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry provided support payments of 810,437 TL to 176 fishermen in Aydın in 2023 and 840,312 TL to 184 fishermen in 2024. Additionally, while 8,000 tons of commercial sea fish and other seafood were caught in our seas in 2023, 1,800 tons of sea fish and other seafood were caught in the first six months of 2024. Our valuable fishermen, we are a country surrounded by seas on three sides. We have one of the most beautiful locations in the world, both climatically and geographically. However, our seas, lakes, and oceans, which are the source of livelihood for millions of people, are unfortunately under serious threat. Every year, tens of thousands of tons of plastic waste are unfortunately dumped into our seas,” he said.

In his speech, Governor Canbolat drew attention to marine pollution, saying, “Our water, soil, and air are also being polluted in our seas. Fish are practically starting to feed on those plastics. Pollution poses serious harm not only to humans but also to marine life and fish. The decomposition of a plastic bottle thoughtlessly thrown into the sea takes 600 years, nylon fabric takes 40 years, and fishing lines take about 600 years. The more alarming part is that these wastes are being consumed by marine organisms. One of the main reasons for the recent decrease in fish species is the increasing pollution. Another significant reason is the lack of attention to fishing bans and rules. I believe that none of our fishermen would fall into such a mistake. Concluding my words with these feelings and thoughts, I wish you all a fruitful and profitable season, may your bows be steady, your rudders be steady, and your wind be favorable, may your fate be bright. I entrust you all to God. May it be abundant and fruitful,” he stated.

After the speech, Didim Fishermen’s Association President Ahmet Satılmış presented a gift to Governor Canbolat. The program continued with a Zeybek dance performance, and prayers were recited by District Mufti Ali Refik Demirel for a successful season.

At the end of the program, the first fish of the season were put up for auction at the market. At the end of the event, free fish sandwiches were distributed to citizens, and fish distributions were also conducted.