Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing in the Sea of Marmara: An assessment based on enforcement data and the amendments to Fisheries Law No. 1380 (2017–2022)

Sadettin Doğu; Firdes Saadet Karakulak; Uğur Uzer; Hakan Kabasakal

doi:10.3153/AR26018

EN

Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing in the Sea of Marmara: An assessment based on enforcement data and the amendments to Fisheries Law No. 1380 (2017–2022)

Abstract

Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing is one of the major threats to the sustainability of marine resources. It disrupts the balance of ecosystems and leads to substantial economic losses. This study aims to analyze inspection activities conducted in the Sea of Marmara, one of the most important Turkish fishing grounds, between 2017 and 2022, and to assess the on-site impact of the 2020 amendment to Fisheries Law No. 1380. A total of 10,599 fisheries violations were examined within the scope of the study, based on data obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Turkish Coast Guard Unit. The findings indicate that the number of violations, which showed an increasing trend during the 2017–2019 period, declined markedly after 2020, when penalties were intensified, and inspection efforts were strengthened (7,202 violations in 2017–2019; 3,397 violations in 2020–2022) and in terms of the distribution of violations by fishing method, purse seine fisheries ranked first (63.63%), followed by diving-based mussel fishery (14.61%) and trawl fisheries (10.25%). Among the confiscated products, Mediterranean mussel accounted for the highest proportion (82.48%). In conclusion, while the deterrent effect of legal regulations has increased, a multidisciplinary approach is needed to combat IUU fishing in sensitive ecosystems such as the Sea of Marmara. This approach should include stricter controls at landing points, the effective use of electronic monitoring systems, and enhanced public awareness.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

The authors declare that this study does not involve experiments with human or animal subjects, and therefore, ethics committee approval is not required.

Thanks

The authors would like to thank the General Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture and the Turkish Coast Guard Command Unit for their institutional support and contributions to data access and field implementation.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Fisheries Management

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Sadettin Doğu
0000-0003-0988-4474
Türkiye

Firdes Saadet Karakulak ^*
0000-0002-6053-5256
Türkiye

Uğur Uzer
0000-0002-7038-6469
Türkiye

Hakan Kabasakal
0000-0001-8189-9748
Türkiye

Early Pub Date

June 27, 2026

Publication Date

July 1, 2026

Submission Date

April 8, 2026

Acceptance Date

May 2, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 9 Number: 3

DOI

https://doi.org/10.3153/AR26018

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA33YY25GP

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Doğu, S., Karakulak, F. S., Uzer, U., & Kabasakal, H. (2026). Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing in the Sea of Marmara: An assessment based on enforcement data and the amendments to Fisheries Law No. 1380 (2017–2022). Aquatic Research, 9(3), 211-227. https://doi.org/10.3153/AR26018

AMA

1.Doğu S, Karakulak FS, Uzer U, Kabasakal H. Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing in the Sea of Marmara: An assessment based on enforcement data and the amendments to Fisheries Law No. 1380 (2017–2022). Aquat Res. 2026;9(3):211-227. doi:10.3153/AR26018

Chicago

Doğu, Sadettin, Firdes Saadet Karakulak, Uğur Uzer, and Hakan Kabasakal. 2026. “Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing in the Sea of Marmara: An Assessment Based on Enforcement Data and the Amendments to Fisheries Law No. 1380 (2017–2022)”. Aquatic Research 9 (3): 211-27. https://doi.org/10.3153/AR26018.

EndNote

Doğu S, Karakulak FS, Uzer U, Kabasakal H (July 1, 2026) Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing in the Sea of Marmara: An assessment based on enforcement data and the amendments to Fisheries Law No. 1380 (2017–2022). Aquatic Research 9 3 211–227.

IEEE

[1]S. Doğu, F. S. Karakulak, U. Uzer, and H. Kabasakal, “Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing in the Sea of Marmara: An assessment based on enforcement data and the amendments to Fisheries Law No. 1380 (2017–2022)”, Aquat Res, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 211–227, July 2026, doi: 10.3153/AR26018.

ISNAD

Doğu, Sadettin - Karakulak, Firdes Saadet - Uzer, Uğur - Kabasakal, Hakan. “Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing in the Sea of Marmara: An Assessment Based on Enforcement Data and the Amendments to Fisheries Law No. 1380 (2017–2022)”. Aquatic Research 9/3 (July 1, 2026): 211-227. https://doi.org/10.3153/AR26018.

JAMA

1.Doğu S, Karakulak FS, Uzer U, Kabasakal H. Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing in the Sea of Marmara: An assessment based on enforcement data and the amendments to Fisheries Law No. 1380 (2017–2022). Aquat Res. 2026;9:211–227.

MLA

Doğu, Sadettin, et al. “Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing in the Sea of Marmara: An Assessment Based on Enforcement Data and the Amendments to Fisheries Law No. 1380 (2017–2022)”. Aquatic Research, vol. 9, no. 3, July 2026, pp. 211-27, doi:10.3153/AR26018.

Vancouver

1.Sadettin Doğu, Firdes Saadet Karakulak, Uğur Uzer, Hakan Kabasakal. Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing in the Sea of Marmara: An assessment based on enforcement data and the amendments to Fisheries Law No. 1380 (2017–2022). Aquat Res. 2026 Jul. 1;9(3):211-27. doi:10.3153/AR26018