Turkish fishers spot flying gurnard in Canakkale Strait

By Burak Akay

CANAKKALE, Türkiye (AA) - A flying gurnard, rare in Turkish waters, has emerged from the fishing net when Turkish fishermen have collected their web in the Canakkale Strait.

The flying gurnard, about 50-centimeter-long (20-inch-long) and weighing 1 kilogram (2 pounds), was caught in the fishing net which was laid towards the Aegean Sea to fish sardine.

Erhan Ciftci, a fisherman, told Anadolu that different species had also been caught in their nets before.

He said they realized an uncommon fish in their fishing net while they were fishing for sardines at a depth of about 50 meters (164 feet) at the entrance of the Istanbul Strait.

“We caught the fish at the westernmost tip of Canakkale. We know it as a flying gurnard … I have been fishing since I was a kid, but I have never come across such a species before,” he added.

Ciftci said they released the fish back into the water off Canakkale to preserve the biodiversity of the water.

Burak Daban, a marine professor at Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, said flying gurnard is a rare species in Turkish territorial waters.

"With global warming, the distribution areas of marine fish species are expanding. It seems that it has begun to increase its stock, which is scarce in Marmara, and it will not be a surprise for it to enter the Black Sea soon,” he said.

Flying gurnard, which is placed in large aquariums for visual treat, does not pose a threat to humans, Daban added.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar