DOI: 10.22120/jwb.2020.136593.1187
Special issue 50-57 (2020)
Challenges for Biodiversity and Conservation in the Mediterranean Region
(http://www.wildlife-biodiversity.com/) Research Article
Fishers' responses towards the banning white grouper fishery in Turkey
the stakeholders. The ban significantly affected 1* 1 Sinan Mavruk , İsmet Saygu , Fethi the demersal longliners who were indignant at Bengil2 the late announcement after making their 1 Fisheries Faculty, Çukurova University, investment for the coming fishing season. Balcalı, Adana, Turkey, Referring our interviews, longliners were 2 Marine School, Girne American University, grouped under three categories based on their Girne, Mersin 10, TRNC via Turkey reflexes towards the ban. Some of the wholly *Email: [email protected] left fishing started to use gill nets or thin Received: 19 September 2020 / Revised: 13 October 2020 / longlines targeting goatfishes, sea breams, and Accepted: 15 October 2020 / Published online: 21 October 2020. particularly invasive threadfin bream Ministry of Sciences, Research, and Technology, Arak University, Iran. (Nemipterus randalli) after the ban. According to the anecdotes of fishery controllers and Abstract fishers' community leaders, illegal fishing on Groupers are important fishes for the coastal groupers continued even after the ban. The ecosystems because of having a key role in the guestimates of the rate of illegal fishing were functioning of marine food webs. Their roughly ranged between 20 % and 40%. In populations are increasingly affected by conclusion, further steps are required for the overfishing, habitat loss, and global warming. conservation of groupers, and in addition to Since a reliable scientific background is lacking, establishing a reliable biological baseline, more their conservation is based on precautionary participatory approaches will be helpful for this approaches, the applicability, and effectiveness purpose. of which are long questioned. Changes in Turkey's grouper fishery legislation constitute Keywords: Conservation, Epinephelus aeneus, an excellent example of how a precautionary Fisheries management, The eastern approach could not gain acceptance among the Mediterranean stakeholders. In Turkey, fishing on white groupers was banned in 2016. Before the ban, Introduction white groupers constituted a vital resource, Groupers (Serranidae, Epinephelini) have key particularly for demersal longliners, who roles in the food webs' structure and functioning strongly objected to the ban. After two years of as important predators of the coastal demersal closure, the ban had to be repealed by habitats. They are long-living species with late policymakers in 2018. In this study, we assessed sexual maturity, sex reversal, slow growth, and the fishers' opinions about these changes in site fidelity (Sadovy de Mitcheson et al. 2013). legislation and investigated shifts in their fishing Such life-history traits increase groupers' practices based on qualitative interviews with vulnerability to anthropogenic factors, like 51| Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity 4 (Special issue): 50-57 (2020) habitat loss, pollution, climate change, and considerable portion of grouper landings was particularly fisheries (Coleman et al. 2000). recorded from the Gulfs of Iskenderun and Consequently, a lot of the grouper species are Mersin, in the northeastern Mediterranean classed under threatened categories of the (Mavruk 2020). International Union for Conservation of Important data gaps exist on the status of the Nature's (IUCN) Red List, suffering from grouper stocks in Turkey. As a consequence of serious declines in their population size (IUCN this, stakeholders could not reach a mutual 2017, Morris et al. 2000, Sadovy de Mitcheson understanding on the regulations of grouper et al. 2013). fishery and related legislations changed two So far, eight grouper species; dusky times since 2016. Before 13.08.2016, the (Epinephelus marginatus), white (E. aeneus), minimum landing size was 45 cm for white and gold-blotch (E. costae), dog-tooth (E. caninus), dusky groupers. Additionally, fishery of both orange-spotted (E. coioides), Haifa species was seasonally banned from 15 Jun to 31 (Hyporthodus haifensis) and mottled groupers Jul (Official Gazette 2012). Following catch (Mycteroperca rubra) along with African hind statistics highlighted abrupt declines in white (Cephalopholis taeniops), are recorded grouper populations, policymakers inhabiting the Mediterranean and the Aegean permanently banned the catch of these two coasts of Turkey (Bilecenoglu et al. 2014, species until 2020 (Official Gazette 2016). Golani et al. 2017). E. coioides and C. taeniops Fishers strongly objected to this regulation and are based on single records (Engin et al. 2016, demanded the repeal of the legislation (Mavruk Gokoglu and Ozvarol 2015, Özcan et al. 2020), 2020). These objections resulted in the way and their establishment statuses are still fishers requested, and fishery management unknown. Based on IUCN's records, white and authority repealed the legislation for white dusky groupers are classed under the threatened grouper in 09.10.2018, two years earlier than categories in the Red List. Although the global the planned abolishing (Official Gazette 2018). conservation status of dusky grouper is In the last legislation, dusky grouper fishery is "Vulnerable" (VU) Pollard et al. 2018a), it is still completely banned, whereas there is a classified as "Endangered" (EN) for the loosening for fishing on white groupers. Mediterranean Sea (Cornish and Harmelin- Recently white grouper fishery is banned in Vivien 2011). White grouper is classified as summer and its minimum landing size is 50 cm. "Near Threatened" (NT) for both global and the Fishing on other groupers in the Epinephelus Mediterranean scale (Pollard et al. 2018b, genus are also forbidden in summer, but there Sadovy et al. 2011). is no regulation on other grouper species Groupers are amongst the most economically (Official Gazette 2020) (Fig.1). valuable species in the Turkish fishery. Based Understanding the reflexes of fishers towards on official landing records, annual grouper the legislation changes is essential to evaluate catches were between 36 and 827 tones in the the success of regulations and, therefore, to last two decades (TUIK, 2019). They are target develop more effective management strategies. species of demersal longlines, traps, spear guns In this study, we investigated how professional and anglers, and by-catch for bottom trawls and and recreational fishers responded to the nets. Particularly demersal thick longlines changes of grouper fishery regulations, what targets white groupers constituting the primary were their opinions on the current legislation source of fishery pressure on them. The and how grouper fishery can be better managed. demersal thick longline fishery is employed by To accomplish this, we gathered information polyvalent fishing vessels in spring and autumn via interviews with stakeholders; fishers, seasons (Mavruk et al. 2018), so-called grouper controllers and sellers working along the fishing seasons, hereafter. In Turkey, the most Mediterranean coast of Turkey. 41| Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity 4 (Special issue): 50-57 (2020)
Figure 1. Timeline of legislation changes for grouper fishery in Turkey (Source for illustrations was FAO species catalog *)
*:FAO species catalog. Vol.16. Groupers of the world (Family Serranidae, Subfamily Epinephelinae). An annotated and illustrated catalog of the grouper, rock cod, hind, coral grouper, and lyretail species known to date. http://www.fao.org/fi/oldsite/eims_search/advanced_s_result.asp?JOB_NO=T0540 Material and methods Results Asking questions about an illegal activity may In the context of the study, a total of 50 irritate fishers and can cause biased results. interviews were conducted with the managers Therefore, rather than performing a fisherman of fishery cooperatives and leaders of fishers' survey, we gathered information from fishery community (n= 25), fishmongers, fish market cooperatives managers, leaders of fisher' owners, and workers (n= 10), fishery communities, fishery controllers, fish mongers, controllers (n= 8), leaders of recreational and fish market clerks via face to qualitative fishing groups (n= 5), and sport fishing store face interviews performed by the authors of the owners (n= 2),. study. For this purpose, fishing stores, diving The grouper fishery ban in 2016 clubs, fish markets, and fishery ports were In 13.08.2016, just before the grouper fishing visited between September 2016 and December season, fishing of white and dusky groupers 2018. In this context, interviews were held in was announced to be banned entirely until 2020 five cities and 19 fishery ports along the (Official Gazette 2016). Based on interviews, Mediterranean coast of Turkey (Fig. 2). At the longliners had already made their investment beginning of the interviews, the purpose of the for the coming fishing season when the ban was study was explained, and an introduction was announced, and they were indignant at the given on the data gaps, the importance of their timing. reflexes, and opinions on the applicability of The reactions of the longliners towards grouper management strategies. In each interview, we ban can be deemed under three different directed our questions based on an unstructured categories, which were: altogether quitting interview form and recorded fishers' anecdotes fisheries, changing fishing gear or continuing in response to each question. Then, we asked thick longlining, and, therefore, illegally the opinions of fishers about the current fishing on groupers during the banned period. legislation and what should have been changed The ones who completely quit fishing were for better management. mostly in the northern coasts of Iskenderun 53| Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity 4 (Special issue): 50-57 (2020)
Bay, where there were industrial facilities opportunities. providing alternative employment
Figure 2. Map of investigation area and positions of visited fishery ports (Basemap were obtained from Google Earth)
The second group of fishers was changed thick continued thick longlining targeting white longlines to gill nets or thin longlines during groupers even during the ban. Based on the grouper fishing seasons. The main targets of the guestimates of fishers' community leaders, fish gill nets were goatfishes (Mullidae spp.) and sea dealers, and fishery controllers, the rate of breams (Sparidae spp.). Thin longline is similar illegal fishing on groupers were roughly to the thick longlines but differs in size of the between 20% and 40%. In addition to this, hooks, which means that they target smaller bottom trawlers and net fishers reported that individuals. Based on fishers' anecdotes, the they did not change their fishing behavior and thin longline fishery is employed on both sandy continued selling groupers after the ban. and rocky bottoms. On sandy bottoms, the main Groupers were by-catch for these fishers, and target is an invasive species threadfin sea bream they stated that most of the individuals caught (Nemipterus randalli), and fishers state that were already dead when the gear is collected they can catch 80 to 100 kg of this species per back. Therefore, they believed that releasing the fishing day. Therefore, an important amount of groupers back is useless for conservation. The fishery effort was apparently directed towards reflexes of recreational fishers were similar to an invasive species as a consequence of the ban. the professional ones. Some of spear gun fishers On the other hand, thin longlines can also catch and anglers were reported to have left catching groupers even at smaller sizes. According to banned groupers or released them in case of an fishers, when this gear is used on the rocky incidental encounter. On the other hand, some bottoms, they frequently encounter gold-blotch anglers and spear gun fishers said that and mottled groupers. White and dusky recreational grouper fishing illegally continued groupers can also be caught by thin longlines, even after the ban. even though fishers do not mention it. In Repeal of legislation in 2018 accordance with this, small individuals of both In October 2018, the prohibition on white species were seen in the market observations. groupers has been repealed by the Turkish Fish market workers also admit the existence of fishery management authority, although dusky these species on sale on occasion. groupers' fishing is still banned. Since then, Several longliners confessed that they 54| Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity 4 (Special issue): 50-57 (2020) white grouper fishery is permitted except for aspects are an important factor in advancing an summer months and a minimum size limitation effective management strategy. of 50 cm (Official Gazette 2018). Most of the In general, grouper fishery is performed by fishers find the current policy on dusky polyvalent small scale fishers (Mavruk et al. groupers is proper. On the other hand, fishers 2018), who can change their fishing gears found 50 cm minimum landing size restriction seasonally based on available resources and on white groupers was unnecessary because profitability. Most of this artisanal fleet use groupers were usually caught with barotrauma trammel nets targeting soles in winter, and (Demirci and Bayraktar 2019) post-release shrimps in summer in the Iskenderun Bay survival was believed to below. According to (Ozyurt and Kiyaga 2016), where is the most fishers, increasing hook size does not reduce the important grouper fishery ground in the catch of small-sized fishes either. Therefore, Northeastern Mediterranean (Mavruk 2020). they requested a reconsideration of the During spring and autumns seasons, sole and minimum landing size restriction. On the other shrimps are not available in the area, and the hand, there is no data on the length at first fleet turns towards thick longlines to catch maturity and sex reversal of white grouper groupers (Mavruk et al. 2018). Accordingly, populations inhabiting the eastern the ban appeared to force thick longliners to Mediterranean. This gap limits evaluation from find alternative resources and reallocated the scientific point of view. existing fishery effort from white groupers to Putting a minimum size limit can be of help in the other potential resources during grouper controlling supply and demand in the market. fishery season. Although the biological Based on fish market owners and workers' consequences of this are largely unknown, both statements, the customers mostly prefer serving positive and negative effects should be size fish from 0.5 to 3 kg. This is probably expected. For example, threadfin sea bream, an because the fish is usually consumed freshly invasive species in the Eastern Mediterranean and cooked as a whole body in Turkish cuisine. (Mavruk et al. 2017), became a target of thin Therefore, the market demand and price of longliners during the ban. Adversely, other smaller sizes are higher. Unfortunately, these grouper species like gold-blotch and mottled sizes are shorter than the length at first maturity groupers were also subjected to this residual for most grouper species (Aronov and Goren effort. 2008, Marino et al. 2001). Longliners usually make their investments for the lines, hooks, etc. before the grouper season Discussion starts. After the investment has been made, Two years of ban on the grouper fishery there is no chance to shift to a different gear and provided us a unique opportunity to understand consequently a target species for the upcoming fishers' reflexes against taking rigid fishing season. Unfortunately, this was the case conservation actions without reaching a mutual for the white grouper ban which was announced understanding among stakeholders. Before the on 13th August just before the grouper fishing ban was announced in 13.08.2016, grouper season. This decreased the applicability of the fishery was quite important in the Gulf of prohibition in the field and caused indignation İskenderun, where three quarters of small-scale among fishers. Although the polyvalent fleet fishers were targeting groupers (Ozyurt and has the elasticity to change their fishing Kiyaga 2016). As expected, longliners' reflexes practices, there are limits to this elasticity. to this ban depended on the presence of Therefore, this fact should be considered in the alternative fishery resources or employment planning of future regulations for more opportunities. This further supports the idea effective implementation. that fishers' community's socioeconomic Groupers are usually caught with barotrauma 55| Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity 4 (Special issue): 50-57 (2020)
(Demirci and Bayraktar 2019), and there is no enough for "ceasing the fishing pressure" on practical and effective way to release them threatened fishes unless all stakeholders alive. Therefore, fishers believe that an entire approve the actions. To this aim, fishers should banning strategy or size limitations are not be actively included in the data collection, practical approaches to conserve such a species investigation, and decision-making processes. since its post-release survival is suspicious in Additionally, raising awareness among the both cases. On the other hand, establishing local community, as potential customers, will marine protected areas with fishing forbidden also contribute to preventing demand on zones (no-take zones) can be a better strategy illegally caught individuals. Otherwise, for the recovery and conservation of grouper governmental regulations can only provide populations (Coleman et al. 2000, Hackradt et limited protection for the fish populations. al. 2014). Acknowledgment Although sometimes precautionary and This study was performed under the project' overprotective approaches are necessary for Strongholds for Groupers in Iskenderun Bay, fast and effective decision-making (Kılıç 2014) Grouper Fishery, Conservation, and in the conservation of threatened fishes, this Management Practices' supported by the may not conclude satisfactory results without Rufford Small Grants program of the Rufford all stakeholders' participation. To accomplish a Foundation with grant number 23780-2. participatory management approach, all stakeholders -from consumers to fishers- References should be convinced of the necessity of Aronov A., Goren M. 2008. Ecology of the conservation measures. In this case, resource Mottled Grouper (Mycteroperca rubra) in users, fishers, have a crucial role because any the Eastern Mediterranean. Electronic regulation in the legislation directly interests Journal of Ichthyology 2:43–55 their livelihood. Their perception of fishery Bilecenoglu M., Kaya M., Cihangir B., Cicek resources status and fish populations also E. 2014. An updated checklist of the marine generate their opinion on conservation policies (Pomeroy and Douvere 2008, Horowitz et al. fishes of Turkey. Turkish Journal of 2018). Therefore, their perceptions should be Zoology 38:901–929. directed towards a conservational point of view Coleman F.C., Koenig C.C., Huntsman G.R., via raising awareness activities. This was Musick J.A., Sedberry G.R., Chapman partially succeeded in Gökova Bay fishery R.W., Grimes C.B. 2000. Long-lived Reef (southern Aegean Sea) using including grouper Fishes: The Grouper-Snapper Complex. fishers in the data collection procedures (Ünal Fisheries 25:14–21. et al. 2009). Cornish A., Harmelin-Vivien M. 2011. The experience gained by the grouper fishery Epinephelus marginatus. The IUCN Red ban in Turkey revealed that a non-participatory List of Threatened Species 2011: approach fails to manage fish stocks. Here, e.T7859A12856576. In: IUCN Red List. fishers forced policymakers to repeal the ban in Mediterr. a short while as a result of a disapproved https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/7859/1 management action. Moreover, fishing pressure 2856576 partly remained even after the measure was Demirci A., Bayraktar O. 2019. Barotrauma taken (e.g., Froese et al. 2018). The illegal and unreported fishery is an important threat to treatment performance of fish release grouper populations worldwide (Sadovy de devices and its effects on fishing operations. Mitcheson et al. 2013). Therefore, it can be Ege Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic concluded that bans and limitations are not Sciences 36:145–154. 56| Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity 4 (Special issue): 50-57 (2020)
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