Monitoring the Migration Route of the Bosphorus Bluefish
The “Development of Strategic Infrastructures for Monitoring Aquatic Creatures in European Seas (STRAITS)” project, which aims to monitor aquatic creatures across Europe and protect biodiversity, has been making significant progress in various regions. Aquatic creatures in the Northern Channel, Danish Straits, Gibraltar Strait, and the Turkish Straits System have been monitored using the acoustic telemetry method.
Two years ago, acoustic receivers were installed at 25 stations starting from the Northern Aegean Sea all the way to the Black Sea. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aytaç Özgül from Ege University Faculty of Fisheries and his team have been closely monitoring important fish species, such as bluefish, by marking them with acoustic transmitters.
In a unique process, 10 bluefish were surgically implanted with acoustic transmitters and released back into the sea in Istanbul. It is essential for fishermen to release any fish they catch with acoustic transmitters back into the sea alive to track their migration patterns.
Bluefish, known as a symbol of the Bosphorus, migrate between the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea seasonally. By tracking these fish, researchers aim to understand their migration routes and help manage sustainable fishing practices.
The project’s goal is to mark 200 bluefish in 3 years, and with the support of universities, public institutions, and non-governmental organizations, this ambitious target can be achieved. By uploading data from acoustic receivers to a public system, researchers hope to gain valuable insights into marine life and biodiversity.
Foreign researchers have also detected other marked species, such as eel and tuna, in the acoustic receiver system, showing the interconnectedness of marine life across borders. The success of this project in monitoring aquatic creatures and protecting biodiversity demonstrates the importance of collaborative efforts in sustainable conservation practices.
