Turkiye’s aquaculture exports exceeded $1.5 billion last year.
According to the information compiled from the data of the Turkish Statistical Institute, the increase in exports of fish, crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates continues.
In the aquaculture category, exports amounted to $879 million 590 thousand in 2018, $962 million 233 thousand in 2019, $1 billion 8 million 993 thousand in 2020 and $1 billion 294 million 358 thousand in 2021. Fisheries exports increased by 75% compared to 5 years ago and reached $1 billion 540 million 27 thousand last year.
Thus, exports exceeded the level of $1.5 billion for the first time, and the total export of fisheries products in the 5-year period reached $5 billion 685 million 201 thousand.
Last year, most aquatic products were exported to Russia.
Considering last year, the highest export was made to Russia with $296 million 793 thousand, followed by Italy with $166 million 676 thousand, the United Kingdom with $157 million 758 thousand and the Netherlands with $137 million 364 thousand.
Despite the increase in exports in aquaculture products in the 5-year period, imports followed a fluctuating course. While $184 million 809 thousand were imported in 2018, imports were recorded as $182 million 114 thousand, $143 million 104 thousand and $201 million 786 thousand respectively in the following years. Last year, imports reached the highest level of the last 5 years and were calculated as $294 million 479 thousand.
In this period, total imports amounted to approximately $1 billion 6 million 292 thousand.
Norway ranked first with $88 million 628 thousand in imports. This country was followed by Malaysia and Morocco.
“We must add value to fish”
Ramazan Ozkaya, Chairman of the Board of the Central Union of Fisheries Cooperatives, stated that the most trout is exported from Turkiye, and said that the country that exports the most trout to Europe is Turkiye.
Noting that sea bream and sea bass are also exported after the trout, Ozkaya also said that tuna is sent to Japan.
Noting that they are working to increase exports, Ozkaya said, “We must add added value to the fish. The fish we sell are sold to us in processed form again. We should be exporting the fish in processed form from now on. If we add value to our fish, we will achieve our $2 billion aquaculture export target this year.”
Pointing out that the fish produced from aquaculture is more than that obtained from hunting, Ozkaya said that Turkiye’s aquaculture capacity has reached 472 thousand tons per year and this has been effective in the increase in exports.
Source: Trthaber / Prepared by Irem Yildiz