February 26, 2021

 

Turkey reports booming aquaculture industry

 

 

A Turkish Marine Research Foundation (TUDAV) research paper reported that Turkey's marine aquaculture had been on fast development over the past decade.

 

The study entitled "Marine Aquaculture in Turkey: Advancements and Management" is a thorough examination of the Turkish aquaculture industry. It looks at how Turkey embraced a blue economy model, lessons learned and the challenges the country faced in improving the sustainability of its fish and shellfish farming sectors.

 

According to the report, the Turkish aquaculture industry is thriving due to the introduction of new technology, improved management and production techniques, tighter environmental regulations and international partnerships that helped open up new markets.

 

The industry also benefited from ample labour supply, low production costs, aligned environmental regulations, quality control, food safety, application of traceability systems and proper paperwork that allowed Turkey's fish products to be traded globally.

 

The country's low annual seafood consumption of 5-6 kilogrammes per person, compared to an average of 24 kilogrammes per person in Europe, has its aquaculture dependent on the exports.

 

In 2019, the Turkish Statistical Institute reported that Turkish marine products were sent to around 100 countries of which 80% were exported to EU countries and 69% of exported fishery products were produced through aquaculture.

 

TUDAV noted that Turkish aquaculture products have gained a strong foothold in the Netherlands, Italy, Russia, Japan and Greece, and are seeing growth in the US. Turkey had also commenced expansion in the Far East region and recently began sending marine products to China.

 

The report predicted Turkish aquaculture production will reach 600,000 tonnes in 2023, with a value of around US$2 billion and fish feed production to reach 900,000 tonnes.

 

Both productions of fish and demand for aquaculture feed is expected to increase significantly through 2050, with an emphasis on continued research to replace fishmeal and fish oil with alternative and novel ingredients, such as animal byproducts, seaweed and plant- or insect-based sources.

 

Turkey is also set to develop its Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) ranching industry.

 

The report also recommends expanding the overall market share of the Turkish aquaculture sector by pursuing innovation and diversified product that adds value such as the production of caviar and extracting raw materials for cosmetics and medicine from marine species.

 

It also forecasts that Turkey's aquaculture industry will be sustainable for the next 30 years but warned that climate change could be an obstacle to development with potentially serious implications for seafood production, food security and the livelihoods of millions of people.

 

 - SeafoodSource