Aegean fishermen have difficulty finding crew members because young people do not want to work on boats. Although the salary is calculated at 80 thousand liras, it is reported that the current crew members are transferred to another boat every season, almost like football players.
Aegean fishermen, who satisfy the majority of Türkiye's fish needs, have difficulty finding crew members to take on most of their work.The crew, including those other than the captain and his assistants, perform a variety of duties to ensure the orderly and safe operation of the ship. Expedition workers, who perform routing and cleaning work as well as regular equipment maintenance, are an important part of sustainability in fisheries. The crew spends all day at sea if weather conditions permit, from September when the fishing season begins until April when the fishing season ends. The fishing fleet, who worked harder than the transport, began to hunt ships out to sea in the evening. Workers spreading nets into the sea will take the fish on the boat, classify them and transport them to trucks on shore. The crew, who clean and maintain the ship and prepare nets for the next hunt, mostly spend the rest of their time resting after a long day of work. Aegean fishermen are finding it more difficult every year to find much-needed crew for the industry.Mehmet Aksoy, Vice President of the Central Union of Fishermen and Seafood Producers, told AA reporters that one of the biggest problems in the fishing industry is labor. Believing that the crew is extremely important in the fishing industry, Aksoy said: “Crews are an indispensable part of a boat and their salary is quite good during this period. We pay them 3-4 times the minimum wage but young people do not like crew members because they want to work desk jobs. In addition, they are also provided with 3 meals a day, a place to sleep, and a bonus on the income earned at the end of each season by the ship owner and captain, just like other boats. ball player stone.” is being transferred. “To solve this problem, we are opening vocational schools to train intermediate-level employees.”Mustafa Baran, one of the fishermen of İzmir Güzelbahçe Fishing Camp, said that fishing was his grandfather's profession and he took over this job from his father. Stating that they had had a good hunting season, Baran said, “Recently we have had difficulty finding crews. Even when we find them, the staff are not qualified. We spend a lot of time training staff. The salary has reached 80 thousand liras, but we cannot find workers.” he said.Hüseyin Cambaz, a purse fisherman, said he has been fishing for 50 years and that despite good wages, they still have problems with the crew. Stating that the ship would be useless without a crew, Cambaz said: “Young people don't want to work on boats, they don't like this job even though we pay well. We provide three meals a day, without spending a cent, and pay a salary of 80 thousand liras. In this sector there is a shortage of crew. In fact, this problem exists not only in the Aegean but everywhere.” he said. Salih Peşmen also said that he has been a crew member for 30 years, working on a ship is very difficult, and the salary starts from 70 thousand liras and can go up to 100 thousand liras.
