Catch efficiency and catch composition of multilament trammel nets with different mesh sizes in Beymelek lagoon

In this study 1-year catch efficiency, catch composition and catch rates were investigated in Beymelek Lagoon by using multifilament nets with different mesh sizes which are common in small-scale fishing. Fish samples were collected with multifilament nets with different mesh sizes (18, 22, 26 and 30 mm) throughout one year in Beymelek Lagoon Lake, which is located in Demre district of Antalya province. A total of 46 sampling operations were performed at 4 stations and samplings were carried out at monthly intervals throughout 1 year while the duration of each operation was 30 minutes. Totally 31 species were sampled. 26 of them were bony fish species and their number and weight were 15466 and 1611421 grams. Striped sea bream 20.67%, sea bream 18.37 % and leaping mullet 16.35% were the most dominant fishes by the weight. During the study, the catch yields per unit effort of the nets (18, 22, 26 and 30 mm) with different mesh sizes were determined as 13.33 - 18.91 - 34.34 - 21.00. For a sustainable fishing with multifilament nets, the mesh size should ideally to be 26 mm. KEYWORDS: Mesh size, Antalya, Catch efficiency, Beymelek lagoon, Trammel nets