Pearl Mullet
Encyclopedia
The İnci kefali also known as the Pearl Mullet, is a species of ray-finned fish in the Cyprinidae family.
It is found only in Turkey
, where it is the only fish known to inhabit Lake Van
.
The Pearl Mullet is the jewel of Lake Van in Turkey. Found nowhere else in the world, this fish thrives in the lake's salty and carbonated waters, which are inhospitable to other forms of fresh-water and marine fish. In May and June of each year the Pearl Mullet travels upstream through the lake's tributaries to lay eggs, flying through the air like salmon. And there lies the problem.
Many locals have become accustomed to the ease of sticking out bags and catching troves of fish as they jump out of the water. They catch so many Pearl Mullets in May-June that they don't have to fish for the rest of the year. And locals prefer to catch the fish during reproduction season, when the females are filled with eggs, which are considered a delicacy.
This is also the best recipe for killing off the species. Despite a government ban on fishing during reproduction season, this kind of fishing has become a big business. In the 1960s only 600 tons of Pearl Mullets were harvested annually; today that figure has jumped to 15,000 tons.
Other taxonomic names for this species include Alburnus tarichi (Güldenstädt, 1814), Alburnus timarensis (Kuru, 1980), Chalcalburnus tarichi (Güldenstädt, 1814), Cyprinus tarichi (Güldenstädt, 1814), and Leuciscus vanensis (Günther, 1868).
It is found only in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, where it is the only fish known to inhabit Lake Van
Lake Van
Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey, located in the far east of the country in Van district. It is a saline and soda lake, receiving water from numerous small streams that descend from the surrounding mountains. Lake Van is one of the world's largest endorheic lakes . The original outlet from...
.
The Pearl Mullet is the jewel of Lake Van in Turkey. Found nowhere else in the world, this fish thrives in the lake's salty and carbonated waters, which are inhospitable to other forms of fresh-water and marine fish. In May and June of each year the Pearl Mullet travels upstream through the lake's tributaries to lay eggs, flying through the air like salmon. And there lies the problem.
Many locals have become accustomed to the ease of sticking out bags and catching troves of fish as they jump out of the water. They catch so many Pearl Mullets in May-June that they don't have to fish for the rest of the year. And locals prefer to catch the fish during reproduction season, when the females are filled with eggs, which are considered a delicacy.
This is also the best recipe for killing off the species. Despite a government ban on fishing during reproduction season, this kind of fishing has become a big business. In the 1960s only 600 tons of Pearl Mullets were harvested annually; today that figure has jumped to 15,000 tons.
Other taxonomic names for this species include Alburnus tarichi (Güldenstädt, 1814), Alburnus timarensis (Kuru, 1980), Chalcalburnus tarichi (Güldenstädt, 1814), Cyprinus tarichi (Güldenstädt, 1814), and Leuciscus vanensis (Günther, 1868).
External links
- Informations and Images www.incikefali.net
- World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1996. Chalcalburnus tarichi. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 19 July 2007.
- Turkey - Sustainable Fishing and Consumption of Pearl Mullethttp://waterwiki.net/index.php/Turkey_-_Sustainable_Fishing_and_Consumption_of_Pearl_Mullet