The mucilage is finished, this time the jellyfish nightmare has begun

Starting from the shores of the Gulf of Gemlik, the densely packed jellyfish, some of which are of considerable size, are giving fishermen cause for concern.

Just as they were saying, "We've completely gotten rid of the mucilage," fishermen now face the nightmare of jellyfish, pointing out that fishing in the Sea of ​​Marmara is becoming increasingly difficult.

Gemlik Fisheries Cooperative Deputy Chairman Kadir Aksu stated that they were unable to go out to sea in the spring due to the mucilage, and that when the mucilage dried up, jellyfish began to be seen in large numbers.

Aksu, stating that they have not seen such density in the last 10 years, said, "We will not be able to throw nets into the sea this time because of the jellyfish. They burst the nets and also physically burn and hurt incredibly when they hit your arms and face."

"The mucilage has finished and the jellyfish nightmare has begun," Aksu said.

"Jellyfish can be in the sea, but there are ten times, maybe even more, than there should be. You can't even get into the sea. There are 20-30 jellyfish in a 10-square-meter area. Imagine a net 300 meters long, how are you going to remove hundreds of jellyfish? They're also very harmful to the body. Fishermen stay away, but they don't stay away from us. They're distributed in open seas like the Black Sea and the Aegean, but in gulfs like Gemlik and Izmit, jellyfish are putting a lot of pressure on us."

Aksu, who explained that he's been at sea since childhood and that this is the first time he's encountered such a density of jellyfish, said, "Everywhere you look, there are jellyfish. The ecological balance is being disrupted. We ask our elders to protect the sea. The Sea of ​​Marmara, in particular, needs to be brought under control." Pointing out that there are fish in the sea and that they've invested in them, but now they're facing a jellyfish problem, Aksu said, "If November lasts until December, small-scale fishermen won't be able to sustain themselves. Support will be provided for mucilage, but it needs to be at a level that will truly benefit us. We want to take out a loan, but we can't. The mucilage might reappear. We're at a loss. The best thing to do is close the Sea of ​​Marmara to fishermen."

"We are the ones hunting the fish that will eat the jellyfish eggs"

Prof. Dr. Mustafa Sarı, a member of the Marmara Sea Action Plan Scientific and Technical Board, emphasized that while sea water temperatures are breaking records, meaning the seas are warming, the seas are also being polluted at an unabated pace. He noted the following:

In other words, the sea's nitrogen and phosphorus load is increasing. This results in plankton blooms. This situation provides ideal breeding and reproduction opportunities for species like jellyfish. We've already caught the large fish that would control the jellyfish population. Ninety percent of the total fish caught in the Marmara Sea are small pelagics like anchovies, horse mackerel, and sardines. In other words, there are no large fish left in the Marmara Sea. In short, our flawed relationship with the sea continues. While rising sea temperatures appear to be the main factor here, we are actually the culprits. Attempts to exonerate ourselves by blaming the climate, which we cannot control, are futile. Because we are the ones polluting. We are the ones creating suitable environments for jellyfish.

We are the ones hunting the fish that will eat the jellyfish, their eggs and larvae and thus reduce their populations."

Aksu, stating that the solution lies in correcting the flawed relationship with the sea, said, "We shouldn't release even a single liter of wastewater into the sea without treatment. The Marmara Sea is a special, fragile sea, and currently severely damaged by mucilage. We must transition to ecosystem-based fisheries management practices in all our seas. We must limit the use of larger boats and nets in the Marmara Sea. When we control marine pollution and hunting, jellyfish populations will naturally decline and return to balance."

UAV

Reporter: News Center