increase sharply. Tunas are taken by small vessels as an off-season 

 activity. These vessels ai'e not suited to the mass production meth- 

 ods required for establishing large tuna fisheries. 



treditcrr anean 



TURKEY 



Fishing for tuna and tunalike fishes is conducted from many small 

 and scattered ports along the coasts of Turkey. The most important 

 tuna grounds, however, are located in the Dardanelles and the Bosporus 

 and in the Sea of Marmara; the coastal area near Istanbul produces 

 the largest catches. Various species make their seasonal migration 

 from the Mediterranean en route to and from their spawning grounds in 

 the Sea of Marmara or the Black Sea, thereby making it possible to ob- 

 tain an abundance of fish with small fishing craft and comparatively 

 simple gear. The most important tuna and tunalike species are the 

 bluefin and the bonito, the latter being the mainstay of the fisheries. 

 Other tunas are taken in small amounts. (NOTE: Turkish records and 

 reports designate two species of bonito, the palamut and the bonitou 

 or torik . These are actually one species, the former being the young 

 fish and the latter the older ones.) The bonito is usually taken by 

 fixed nets or traps, the bluefin by hook and line or harpoon from 

 small vessels. 



Accurate statistical records or iish production in Turkey have 

 not been published. One estimate places the 1938 catch of tuna and 

 tunalike fishes at about 132,000,000 pounds, or approximately half 

 the total Turkish fish catch. About 80 percent of landings by tuna 

 fishermen were bonito. Although this estimate appears to be high, 

 its reliability is substantiated by the large exports in 1939. Recent- 

 ly, a sharp decline in the bonito catch, attributed to natural fluc- 

 tuations in abundance, has occurred, but it is possible that overfish- 

 ing or loss of foreign markets may also be responsible. The 1945 

 catch of tuna and tunalike fishes was estimated to be about 34,200,000 

 pounds . 



In addition to being consumed by the Turkish people, the bonito 

 is the most important fishery product exported. Small amounts of 

 tuna are also exported. Table 30 shows the 1939 and 1947 exports of 

 bonito. 



134 



