Бердянський бичок
Gobies are distributed along the Azov and Black Sea coasts and in the fresh waters of their basins, especially in coastal lakes and estuaries that are favorable to them.
The round goby (Neogobius melanostomus Pallas) is a small fish with a characteristic black spot on its first dorsal fin, a slightly protruding forehead, and eyes that protrude slightly above its head. Its abdominal fins, as in most gobies, form a sucker. Gobies are up to twenty-five centimeters long, and males are slightly larger than females. In summer, gobies acquire a gray color. Adult gobies are gray, black, brown, and olive. Adult males during spawning have an intense black color with a white border on their fins. Females live four to five years; most of them die after the first spawning, which occurs from April to September. Goby fishing is one of the traditional occupations of Azov fishermen. The tackle is simple: usually a float rod or donkey. Pieces of fish meat have traditionally been used as bait, and modern fishermen use worms and maggots. Today, fishers also use frozen chicken and other bait. Commercial fishing uses drag and shutter nets. Spring is the most active season for fishing for gobies by amateur fishers, while industrial fishing is from August to December.
The goby had special importance to Berdyansk inhabitants during and after the Second World War. Locals are convinced that this fish gave many families the capability to survive these difficult years. To commemorate this, a monument to the Goby-Feeder was erected in Berdyansk in 2001, which is now one of the city’s most recognizable tourist destinations.
The Goby is considered a tourist attraction in Berdyansk. Every year in Berdyansk, competitions are held in the sport of fishing the Azov goby. Tourists order goby dishes from local restaurants and buy dried gobies to take home. The Gobies in Tomato dish is offered in restaurants, sold as canned food in Ukraine, and exported. However, the original recipe is kept only in families and prepared for home consumption. Gobies stewed in tomatoes is a traditional dish of the Berdyansk district. For its preparation, gobies should be prepared by cutting off the fins, tail, and head, removing the intestines, trimming the ribs, and removing part of the spine, adding onions, carrots, vegetables, tomato juice, sugar, salt, vinegar, sunflower oil, a bay leaf, ground black pepper, and allspice.
In recent years, the number of gobies in the Sea of Azov has declined. The main reasons for this are poaching and the sea water’s increase in salinity from 14.5 to 15% (ppm). The balance in the ecosystem has also changed: gobies have increased competition in terms of their forage, in particular, from turbot and jellyfish. Dry Berdyansk gobies are becoming a food brand for tourists, so the demand for them is constantly growing, which could increase overfishing.
Back to the archive >
