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As the fishing ban in the Mediterranean comes to an end, fishermen in the provinces of Adana, Mersin, and Hatay have completed weeks of preparation and are getting ready to return to the sea at 12 a.m., hoping for a productive new season.
Fishermen across the region had been away from the water since the previous season closed on April 15, using the months since then to carry out maintenance work on their boats and equipment.
In Adana's Karatas district, fishermen cleaned, painted and repaired their boats before lowering them back into the water and mending their fishing nets ahead of the new season.
The Mediterranean fishing season traditionally begins later than in other seas due to warmer water temperatures in the region.
Celal Safsoylu, head of the Adana Karatas Aquaculture Cooperative, noted that around 3,500 people are employed in the fishing sector in Karatas district alone, reflecting the industry's importance to the local economy.
Fishermen had a difficult previous season due to poor weather conditions, which reduced their working days from a typical 20 to 25 days a month down to roughly ten days.
Mahmut Oktay, a fisherman in Karatas, said he had finished servicing his boat and nets and was hopeful for a strong season ahead.
In Mersin, Adnan Polat, head of the Mersin Fishermen's Association, said boats had been cleaned, nets mended and painting completed, with fishermen ready to set out to sea saying the traditional phrase "vira bismillah."
Polat added that fish prices are expected to be lower in the months following the season's opening, and he called for additional support for fishermen regarding fuel costs.
Ibrahim Polat, another fisherman from Mersin, said he had spent about a month preparing for the new season and was hopeful for a good catch.
In Hatay's Samandag district, fishermen at the Cevlik Port Fishing Shelter also completed their final preparations, with fisherman Hidayet Temizkan noting that a wide variety of fish have already been spotted in the Mediterranean this year.
Tevfik Okan, another fisherman preparing at the Cevlik Port Fishing Shelter, said he hoped for a large catch this season so that fish prices would stay low and remain accessible to the public.
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