Established in 2008 by the request of fish producers, the Turkish Seafood Promotion Committee incorporates three concerns – the Aegean Exporters’ Association, the Istanbul Exporters’ Association and the Mediterranean Exporters’ Association.
The committee aims to try to enhance the domestic and foreign demand for Turkish seafood by improving its image, branding of seafood abroad, conducting surveys on marketing strategies in the target and existing markets and organising and implementing activities for joint promotion.
With a healthy lifestyle becoming increasingly important in the present day, the committee intends to communicate the positive effects of fish on human health, thus increasing its consumption, exportation and market share.
Importance for the economy
The Turkish seafood sector has a great importance for the economy. Being bordered by three seas, Turkey has great potential for seafood production, not only from sea-catch, but also from the aquaculture of regional Aegean and Mediterranean species along the western and south-western coastlines. Freshwater farming also takes place in almost all regions of Turkey. So the country’s seafood sector is bolstered by its geographical advantages, closeness to target markets and diversity of species. As well as Turkish products increasingly conforming to EU requirements, there is high processing capacity and high export potential – and this all adds extra value to the market.
The committee says that the experienced Turkish seafood sector, with its rich aquatic resources, highly experienced hands on human labour force and technical competence strives to be an important player in the worldwide aquaculture industry.
Indeed, it is partly due to the committees’ activities that exports of seafood products have increased from 48,566 tonnes in 2006 to 71,925 tonnes in 2011.
