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DOI :10.26650/B/LS32LS24.2024.005.001   IUP :10.26650/B/LS32LS24.2024.005.001    Full Text (PDF)

Developments of Turkish Aquaculture Industry

Murat YiğitSebahattin ErgünMustafa Yıldız

As a country with significant infrastructure and long history in fish farming, Turkish aquaculture is in a rapid growth period, ranking among major producers in the World and the largest producer among the non-EU and EU member countries, together with Norway, UK, and Russia. The Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) are the main three species dominating aquaculture harvest from Turkish farms. According to the latest statistics supplied by the Food and Agricultural Organizations of the United Nations, production volume for these three key species was in the order of 165.683 tons, 155.151 tons, and 133.476 tons, respectively in 2021, representing 35%, 33%, and 28% of the total production in the Turkish aquaculture industry. Considering economic returns from for the country, European seabass production takes the lead with 41%, the highest share of the total income that was reported as 855.483 $, followed by gilthead seabream with a share of 31% and 637.187 $ contribution, and rainbow trout with 23% and 482.848 $ contribution in 2021. Fish species, other than the main key players represent 5% with an economic value of 112.798 $ for the Turkish aquaculture sector, that has achieved a remarkable growth trend over the last two decades. The development of the Turkish fish farming industry was initiated with simple cage systems that has shifted to smart farm facilities with high-technologies over the years. However, there is still a way to go, and there is an urgent need to identify new production areas in response to shrinking carrying capacities, and to develop innovative methods and technologies for environmentally-sound and sustainable production in order to use the existing potential more efficiently. All these aspects have been evaluated in this chapter with insight to the strengths and prominent features that have brought Turkish aquaculture to an important position. Efforts and success of the Turkish aquaculture industry, as well as weak points that need considerations for future developments have been highlighted with comparative evaluation from past to present.



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