Vildan Atmaca/ JINHA

WAN - Pearl mullet thrives in the lake's salty and carbonated waters in the Lake Van. In May and June of each year pearl mullet travels upstream through the lake's tributaries to lay eggs, flying through the air in the Erciş district of Van. This struggle exhibits a spectacular sight.

Pearl mullet is a fish found only in the Lake Van in the world. These fishes begin to travel from carbonated waters to freshwater to lay their eggs in May. They travel upstream through the lake's tributaries and, flying through the air. The sight of fishes captivates all people. While they impress the people by overcoming the obstacles, they face to become extinct during their travel.

The greatest dangers for the pearl mullet are sand and stone quarries. The doors of dam are closed during the spawning period of pearl mullet and this harms many aquatic organisms. The sand and stone quarries affect badly the food road of aquatic life in stream bed. The water in the stream bed becomes more blurred each year. In these circumstances the only fish found in the Lake Van, pearl mullet faces to become extinct.

(dc/mg/gd)