Fishermen Socio-Economic Structure of the Inland Fishing Grounds in the Provinces of Isparta and Manisa

The results of the survey conducted on 59 fishermen have been evaluated within the scope of the study aiming at determining some data related to the socio-economic structure and fishing activities of the fishermen in the lakes of E？irdir and Bey？ehir in Isparta, and the lakes of Marmara and Demirk？prü Dam in Manisa having great importance in terms of inland fishing. It has been determined that the highest percentage of fishermen was found to be between the ages of 46-65 in the other fishing grounds with the except of Bey？ehir Lake. 75% of the fishermen in the other fishing places excluding Marmara Lake has been found married and the number of children, except for the Demirk？prü Dam Lake, was mostly 1or 2. While the percentage of those fisherfolks was the highest in Bey？ehir Lake (57.1%), it was followed by Demirk？prü Dam Lake (50%), E？irdir Lake (36.4%) and Marmara Lake (25%), respectively. The highest rate of fishing and agricultural income was found in Bey？ehir Lake whereas the highest rate of agricultural and non-agricultural income sources as well as fishery was found in Lake E？irdir. Materials of fishing vessels consist of fiber, wood and metal sheet. The 43.2% of fishing boats in E？irdir Lake and the 75% of those in Demirk？prü Dam Lake were 5-6 m length while all boats in Lake Bey？ehir were 7.1-8 m length. The number of boats having 9-13 HP engine power was found to be higher in the lakes of E？irdir and Bey？ehir than that in the lakes of Marmara and Demirk？prü Dam. It has been found that the fishing activities take place 5 days in a week in E？irdir Lake and 7 days in the other three fishing grounds, and the daily fishing varied between 3-7 hours in all fishing grounds. The annual fishing income and expenditure values of Demirk？prü Dam Lake, Marmara E？irdir and Bey？ehir Lakes was generally lower than TRY 25.000. It was found that fuel-maintenance and repair expenses were below TRY 5000 in all fishing grounds. Most of the fishermen in Marmara Lake have received a bank credit (20%: TRY 30.000) for purchasing a fishing tool while the ones in E？irdir Lake have used this loan in order to buy a tractor as well as a fishing tool or for any other needs. It was seen that carp in Marmara Lake and Demirk？prü Dam Lake and pikeperch in Bey？ehir Lake were the species of fish mostly caught whereas the crayfish mostly caught in Lake E？irdir. It has been determined that a trammel net was in use all of the fishing areas, and that trammel net, a crayfish trap and a fishing rod were not used at the same time