FISH FARMS AS ECOLOGICAL TRAPS IN IZMIR REGION:DOLPHINS, SEALS AND SEA BIRDS
Project no. 1138 · Status: Kapanmış · 2016
Summary
Natural fish stocks are collecting around and beneath the sea cages so that reason fish farms are defining as “ecological trap”. In this thesis, as predators of natural fish stocks; dolphins, seals and seabirds diversity has been determined. Fish cages are acting as FADs (Fish Aggregating Devices) and which season, what amount and which species of dolphins, seals and sea birds are collecting around the fish cages and which problems occurring of these species between fish farms and coastal fishermen has been studied. İzmir region assessed of three parts of North, Central and South. Totally 196 questionnaires had with coastal fishermen (n=176) and fish farms (n=20). The difference between regions was statistically analyzed by chi-square test. Three dolphins; common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) and short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), one seal; Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) and three sea birds; Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), Great egret (Egretta alba), Yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) species have been identified in around the İzmir region fish farms. 73% of coastal fishermen thought as dolphins and seals are problem that collected around the fish farms. Only the result in the northern region was statistically different (P<0.05). 75% of fish farms thought as dolphins and seals are problem and 70% of fish farms had interaction with sea birds. It was found that the fish farms used protection nets as a major barrier for dolphins, seals and seabirds.