Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
TURKISH JOURNAL OF HISTORY-TARIH DERGISI, ss.97-115, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus)
This study aims to examine the transformation of the Black Sea from a "Turkish lake" into an arena of rivalry between the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empire through the lens of fishing activities, thereby revealing the local-level impacts of this broader geopolitical shift. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the population policies implemented by Russia along the Crimean coast resulted in the relocation of local communities to inland areas, which in turn weakened the existing fishing culture and reduced production capacity. Although this economic and demographic vacuum was initially filled by Ottoman fishermen from Anatolia, Russia's long-term objective was to develop fishing activities conducted by its own subjects. To this end, the empire pursued scientific research, made targeted investments, and introduced legal regulations to consolidate its economic autonomy in the region. These developments are evaluated comparatively based on archival documents, consular reports, and other primary written sources from the period. The findings indicate that the initial cooperation between Ottoman fishermen and Russian authorities gradually gave way to mounting conflicts over issues such as territorial waters, border violations, citizenship status, taxation practices, and coastal security. This process suggests that the Black Sea was not merely a resource-rich fishing ground but also a fluid and dynamic frontier, where the struggle for influence between the Ottoman Empire and Russia unfolded. In this context, fishermen appear not as passive victims of imperial competition, but as active agents capable of adapting to changing and often challenging circumstances.