Alburnus tarichi
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| Güldenstädt , 1814 |
Alburnus tarichi , known as tarek, pearl barbel, vankarp or van-shah-kuli (Turkish: İnci kefalı / balığı; Kurdish: darex darach; Armenian: տառեխ taṙex), is a species of carp-like , the only fish known of that helivesin Lake Van in Turkey . It is endemic to the Van Basin.
The Tarek is the "jewel" of Lake Van in Turkey. Nowhere in the world does this fish thrive but in the lake's salty and soda-rich waters, which are deadly to other species of saltwater and marine fish. In May and June of each year, it migrates upstream through the lake's tributaries to lay eggs.
Many locals have set up fish traps to catch the fish as they migrate up the tributaries. They catch so many fish from May to June that they don't have to fish the rest of the year. Locals prefer to catch the fish during the breeding season, when the females are filled with eggs, which are considered a delicacy in the city and region of Erciş. The Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi YYÜ and the nature conservation association Doğa Gözcüleri Derneği have been developing a conservation strategy since 1997 (Sari, 2012). Despite a government ban on fishing during the breeding season, this type of fishing has become big business. In the 1960s, 600 tons of fish were caught annually; today it is more than 15,000 tons. The species was classified as “Endangered” in 1994, but classified as “Near Endangered” in 2014.