Turkish hamsi fishers ask to delay season start to October

At a fisheries sector meeting in Trabzon, representatives of the Black Sea hamsi (anchovy) industry urged the government to postpone the opening of the commercial hamsi season. They asked that the start date be moved from 1 September to either 1 October or, if necessary, 15 October, arguing that fish caught earlier are too small and that a later start would allow the stock to mature and improve sustainability.

The delegation was attended by Trabzon Governor Tahir Şahin, AK Party MPs Adil Karaismailoğlu and Yılmaz Büyükaydın, and provincial party chair Sezgin Mumcu. Participants also highlighted the need for coordinated fishing regulations among Black Sea bordering nations, noting that differing quotas and season dates create unfair competition for Turkish fishers.

If the request is accepted, the general fishing season could still open on 1 September, but a separate, later start date would apply specifically to hamsi, aligning with the end of the current industrial fishing ban on 1 September 2026.