Fishing Revenue
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Increase revenue for local fishers
No change observed
Gökova Bay to Cape Gelidonya
Türkiye
Problem: Unregulated and unsustainable fishing in the Mediterranean Basin has led to a sharp decrease in the last 20 years in the catch size and number of target species in local fisheries.
Action: No-Fishing Zones (NFZs) have been established by the government in collaboration with AKD and local fishers to provide refuges for fish to spawn and grow. AKD are increasing areas within NFZs that are patrolled, and are engaging with fishers to deter illegal fishing activities within NFZs.
Indicator: An increase in the monthly revenue to local fishers demonstrates a co-benefit from the restoration of this marine ecosystem. Monitoring revenue from local fishing cooperatives can improve understanding of how seascape restoration benefits local livelihoods.
Methods
Fish landings data, for fishing outside NFZs using trammel nets and longlines, was recorded daily at four fishing cooperatives: Akyaka and Akçapınar in Gökova, and Göcek and Çalış in Fethiye. For each fisher’s daily catch, total fish weight per species (kg) was recorded when it was purchased by the cooperative. Data on fish price was recorded by the cooperatives. The number of boats fishing was also recorded. Fish landings data and sale price for each species was then used to calculate monthly income of fishers, as an average per boat for each cooperative. Data were then adjusted to account for national inflation, as the project spans a period of significant economic variability in Türkiye (including the Covid-19 global pandemic). For this, prices were first converted to US dollars according to the exchange rate in the period that data was collected, and prices were then deflated to a December 2024 US dollar base to remove the effects of inflation.
Results
There were significant differences in income between years, but there was no clear directional change in fishing revenues over the period (Fig. 1). There were statistically significant differences in income among the fisheries cooperatives, with the lowest incomes in Akçapınar compared to all other locations.
Figure 1: Mean monthly income, across years and fishing co-operatives. Original values in TRY were converted to USD and adjusted for inflation.
Interpretation
Even when both Türkiye’s domestic inflation and US dollar conversion are taken into account, the relative stability of fishers’ earnings in such a challenging economic environment strongly suggests that the protected area spillover effects have provided a protective buffer. Without these ecological and regulatory benefits, it is very likely that fishers’ incomes would have declined further.
A longer period of time might be needed to detect change in this indicator, since it partially depends on recovery of fish populations. Longer-term monitoring will help to track this. Measuring additional variables might have provided more information on income trends, such as detailed fisher-specific catch volumes, and market demand fluctuations. Additionally, it would be useful to have information on operational and maintenance costs to better understand the balance between incomes and expenses.
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