Temporal Alterations of Fishery Landings in Coastal Lagoons Along the Aegean Coast of Turkey

In the present study, we analysed the temporal changes of fisheries landings in the six coastal lagoons (Enez, Homa, Karina, Akkoy, Gulluk, and Koycegiz) along the Aegean coast of Turkey. The data are based on the records of the lagoon cooperatives and previous related studies. The total annual fish landing from the lagoons, with a total area of 11300 ha, in 2015 was 530 tonnes. The landings trend from all lagoons except Koycegiz and Karina was declining. The possible factors decreasing production include mismanagement, anthropogenic and climatic impacts. These factors can lead to changes in temporal distribution of fish species and total landings, which results in significant economic impacts. We suggest that the effects of harvesting and fishing are minimized by implementing appropriate management strategies developed together with the interested parties who highly invest in the lagoon productivity.