Amateur Fishing: The Example of Çanakkale Province

Abstract

In this study, the socio-demographic status of the amateur fishermen, whose numbers are increasing rapidly in our country, and their knowledge levels about amateur fishing in Çanakkale were determined. A survey consisting of 63 questions was conducted in Çanakkale during the period February-May 2022. The survey data answered by 107 randomly selected amateur fishermen were analyzed with the Statistics Program for Social Sciences 24.0. The data in this study were compared to those of other related studies conducted in different regions of our country. Findings indicated that 85% of the participants were male and 69.2% were married and 57.9% of the participants were between the ages of 26-35. In addition, 47.7% of the participants were high school graduates and 88.8% were actively working. The ratio of participants who did not have an amateur fisherman's license was 77.6%. In this study, it was determined that participants with an amateur fisherman's license who perform fishing activity only in saltwater and go fishing everyday had higher levels of knowledge and awareness. Although the participants had sufficient knowledge on fishing and the environment, they had limited knowledge on safety issues on fishing boats.