Pearl mullets of Lake Van protected by drones

In Lake Van, inspections to prevent the poaching of pearl mullets living in this lake and trying to reach freshwater bodies, swimming inversely to the flow in their spawning period will be carried out by drones.Pearl mullets, which continue their lives in the biggest lake with its 3,713-kilometer acreage in Turkey, immigrate to freshwater bodies on their spawning time between Apr. 15 and July 15.

Works have been conducted to prevent poaching of pearl mullets, which show unique images during their immigration.

Brochures about the close season to prevent poaching in fresh waters and locations around the lake were published by the Provincial Directorate of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, Provincial Gendarme and Pearl Mullet Application and Search Center of Yüzüncü Yıl University (YYU) under the guidance of the Van Governorship.

Provincial Gendarme teams will also patrol with boats to prevent poaching, selling and transferring of pearl mullets on the lake, where drones will patrol in the air.

It is implied that relevant institutions will work studiously for administrative acts that will be applied to those who don't obey the rules.

Research Assistant Ataman Altuğ Atıcı, who is Deputy Manager of the YYU Faculty of Aquaculture Pearl Mullet Application and Research Center, implied that the hunting of pearl mullets in the spawning periods mean their extinction. Atıcı continued, "Pearl mullets are identified with Van. Therefore, we need to protect this fish. We know that creatures breed in fresh and salt waters in the world. However, what makes pearl mullets different is their presence in these two different types of water. We need to look out for this special creature."