The goby, which is considered a commercial fish, has become a rare catch for fishermen in the Sea of Azov. The Institute of Biology of the South Seas named after A.O. Kovalevsky explained why this could happen.
"A sharp decline in the bull calf population in the Sea of Azov off the coast of Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, according to local fish inspectors, has been noticed over the past few years. This is due to overfishing and undermining of the feed base and the breeding base of the bull during the Ukrainian period," the press service of FIT InBUM reported.
Since the times of the USSR, the bull was caught only from small vessels and a small bull dredge, the institute explained.
"But since the 90s, Ukraine has been using seiners with bottom trawls, which has led to the undermining of the population in these areas," the press service of FIT InBUM added.
Earlier in July, the Institute's specialists resumed scientific research on the eastern and northeastern coast of the Sea of Azov after a break of several years.