«My name is Şevket. I live in Turkey. I am 67 years old, and I've been fishing since I was a kid.»
Being a fisher. Caring for nature.
«I started fishing when I was just nine years old. My father taught me. But he didn’t just teach me how to fish. He taught me how to become a fisher.
You see, to me, fishing isn’t just a hobby. When in the early hours of the morning, I set my boat towards Izmir bay, to catch fresh gilt-head bream, cuttlefish or octopus – that’s my whole life. Fishing is my lifestyle. It’s how I feed my family.
And when I’m out on my fishing boat, I’m never alone. I’m sharing the waves with wonderful creatures: sea turtles and dolphins. I spent most of my time at sea, so in a way, we sort of live together. I love seeing the dolphins jump!
Unfortunately, although we usually get along just fine, fishing can sometimes put them in danger.
A turtle once got caught in my trammel net. The same thing happened to dolphins – twice. It’s important to me to help protect these animals.
Why? Because I know that if they get caught in my nets, it’s dangerous for them, and I don’t want them to get hurt. Even if they somehow manage to escape from the net, they’re still at risk.
I wish all fishers would work in a respectable way. If I see vulnerable species somewhere, I’m not fishing in that area: I leave them at peace.»
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Stichting BirdLife Europe gratefully acknowledges financial support from the European Commission. All content and opinions expressed on the ECA section of this website are solely those of Stichting BirdLife Europe.
Stichting BirdLife Europe gratefully acknowledges financial support from the European Commission. All content and opinions expressed on the ECA section of this website are solely those of Stichting BirdLife Europe.