Effects of Lunar Phases and Weather Conditions on Small-scale and Trawl Fishery Landings in Southern Aegean Sea, Turkiye

Abstract

Several studies have investigated the effect of the lunar phase and weather conditions on animal behaviour. As in other parts of the world, fishermen may modify their behaviour in response to the weather conditions and the moon cycle in Turkey. The main objective of the study was to find out the answer to "Do lunar illumination and weather conditions have effects on trawl and small-scale fishery landings in the southern Aegean Sea?". The study results showed that while cloudiness has a positive effect, lunar illumination, lunar distance and mean wind speed have negative impacts on small-scale fishery landings. On the other hand, the trawl fishery is affected positively by cloudiness. However, lunar illumination has a negative impact on trawl landings. Apart from the effects of the lunar cycle and weather on fisheries landings, other factors such as oceanographic variables, anthropogenic impact and climate change should also be investigated.