An Overview of the Status of Sturgeons and Cetaceans Accidentally Captured in Southern Black Sea Coastal Zone of Türkiye

Abstract

This study was conducted out in the southern Black Sea coastal zone, in 2011-2016 fishing seasons. In the study, bycatch of sturgeons and cetaceans were examined both in small scale (turbot gillnets) and large scale (trawlers) fisheries. During the fishing operations within the study, 66 sturgeons (41 Danube sturgeon - Acipenser gueldenstaedtii and 25 starry sturgeon - Acipenser stellatus) and 49 cetaceans (40 harbor porpoises - Phocoena phocoena relicta and 9 short beaked dolphin - Delphinus delphis ponticus) were captured. Length-weight relationships of Danube sturgeon and starry sturgeon were determined as W=0.0123L2.8808 (R=0.9964, negative allometric growth) and W=0.0345L2.5351 (R=0.9961, negative allometric growth), respectively. Mean total length were calculated as 60.02±1.04 cm for Danube sturgeons, 46.42±1.17 cm for starry sturgeon and mean fork length were established as 126.75±3.36 cm for harbor porpoises, 163.74±1.42 cm for short beaked dolphins in the study.