About striped venus clam (Chamelea gallina) fisheries in the Black Sea: Management and economic aspects

Abstract

Chamelea gallina has an important role in Turkey and the Black Sea fisheries. This study aimed to determine the structure of management and socio-economic situation of the Chamelea gallina fisheries The socio-economic evaluation of 27 vessel owners revealed that all of them had a family from a fisheries background, and they had an average professional experience of 24.3 years. The average gross annual production value of the boats was found as 123,214 US$/boat. The average gross annual profit of the boat owners was calculated as 58,552 US$/boat, while the average annual net profit was 43,289 US$/boat. It was found that the return on investment (ROI) was 21%, financial profitability was 21.4%, and the turnover rate of the investment was 59.8%. The boat size and engine power were not effective on the income of the boat owners. A positive correlation was observed between the number of days in the sea and fisheries income (p<0.05). Some boats could make losses without tax-free fuel subsidies independent from the total catch amount of the fishing fleet. An increase in the number of fishing boats would decrease the average income per boat. This situation could increase the pressure on the resources.