Turkey has shown a significant increase in production and export of fish produce over the last 10 years, according to Alican Yamanyilmaz, chairman of the Mediterranean Fishery Products Exporters’ Union.
The country’s fish produce exports, most of which come from aquaculture, have increased in value to $400 million (€302 million), up from $40 million (€30.2 million) 10 years ago, while production has grown from 400,000 tonnes a decade ago to 1 million tonnes, Yamanyılmaz said.
Surrounded on three sides by ocean, Turkey was in the past unable to penetrate Europe’s top 10 exporting countries, Yamanyılmaz said, adding that these days Turkey competes for the leading spot.
Turkey exports fish products to many countries, including Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Italy, Greece and Japan.
Even though Greece and Italy are aquaculture producers, they buy fish from Turkey, Yamanyılmaz said.
A promotion group established by the union has conducted important research over the last two years. It also publishes booklets in different languages, such as Russian, English and Arabic, and distributes them throughout Europe and the Middle East.
As well as promotion conducted in other countries, the group is also trying to increase fish consumption in the domestic market.
For this end, it is set to start airing television commercials. It aims to increase the current 8kg of fish consumption per capita to at least 10kg in the first phase of promotion.
Turkey’s active aquafarms span an area of more than 26 million hectares.
[Source: Hürriyet Daily News]
