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Abstract

IntroductionThe spawning season and length at first maturity of a species are essential parameters to know for the sustainable management of fish stocks within an ecosystem. When the spawning period of a species is known, refraining from fishing this species during this period is a reasonable measure that has been practiced for a long time. Moreover, only fishing those individuals which have reached maturity is one of the basic rules that should be followed to ensure sustainability. Although the common belief is that a fishery can be easily managed by following these two rules, the reality is not so simple. Adhering to minimum fishing size rules for species with different body forms which are targeted by the same fishing vessels requires significant effort. However, it is also quite difficult to impose a seasonal fishing ban which applies to all species in areas where many different species with different spawning periods live (SamyKamal, Forcada, & Lizaso, 2015). To manage such a fishery, it is necessary to determine the spawning periods of species living in the area being fished, to identify the ideal time and duration for a ban and also to take socio-economic factors into account.In this study, the parameters of spawning season, and length and age at first maturity were determined for 21 fish species and the findings obtained were compared to the current fishing regulations in order to make recommendations. These recommendations have been derived from findings related to reproductive biology obtained in a completed research project. Although this study uses previously published findings produced within the scope of the same project, it uses them in a different way. This is because, in order to ensure that robust and reliable recommendations could be presented, it was necessary to analyse the findings of other studies conducted in the study area at the same time using the same method. To this end, the findings obtained both in this study and other studies are given together in tables and figures and the parameters which were not included in this study are presented clearly within these tables and figures. We feel obliged to offer this explanation to prevent our practice in this regard from being perceived as not complying with scientific ethics due to the manner in which the findings are dealt with.The main objectives of this study were to provide the specific information required by those spawning periods are not covered by recent closed seasons. Although it was determined that a total of 13 species were fish targeted by artisanal fisheries, there are only four minimum landing size regulations in place for them. Therefore, for the study area we recommend a new prohibited season for fisheries carrying out bottom trawling as well as minimum landing sizes.Keywords: Spawning period, minimum landing size, reproduction, fisheries management. 212A: T. Ilkyaz et al. / Turk. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 18: 211-216 (2018) who manage and regulate fisheries and to contribute to the regulation of fisheries by designing approa...