Assessment of Bycatch and Lost Fishing Gear in Sea Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) Fishing Using Vertical Setline in the Coastal Waters of Yumurtalık Bay

Caner Enver Ozyurt

Assessment of Bycatch and Lost Fishing Gear in Sea Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) Fishing Using Vertical Setline in the Coastal Waters of Yumurtalık Bay

2024

Caner Enver Ozyurt

In this study, conducted in Yumurtalık Bay (Adana/Turkey) between October 2020 and February 2021, 40 commercial fishing operations were monitored. During the fieldwork, the length and weight of the species caught by commercial fishers were measured, and the number of deployed set lines and the lost set lines were recorded for each operation. The results showed that, aside from European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax), only six species were caught, with bycatch species constituting 4.64% by weight. Of the 859 seabass individuals caught, only 88 were found to be below the minimum legal catch size (25 cm) specified in Turkish fisheries regulations. These findings suggest that the method demonstrates species and size selectivity, indicating an environmentally friendly fishing approach. A total of 4791 set lines were deployed during the monitored operations, of which 198 lines (4.13%) were lost. The total number of set lines lost by the entire fleet in a single season was estimated to be approximately 2800 lines. While the reasons for gear loss typically include gear conflicts, adverse weather conditions, operational errors, maritime traffic, and vandalism, this study did not specifically identify the causes of gear loss. However, inferences were made regarding possible causes based on previous studies.

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