THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
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September 2026…
Press release…
Şemsi Bayraktar, President of the Union of Turkish Chambers of Agriculture (TZOB), in an assessment made ahead of the new fishing season due to begin on 1 September, noted that Türkiye’s fishery production has generally shown an upward trend in recent years and expressed his hope that the new fishing season would be accident-free, bountiful and sustainable for fishermen.
Bayraktar reported that total fisheries production, which exceeded the 1 million tonne mark for the first time in 2023, rose by 11.1 percent in 2025 to reach 1,037,019 tonnes following a decline in 2024. He noted that this brought the total production spike over the last five years to 31.9 percent.
Bayraktar stated that 33.4 percent of the 2025 aquatic products production consisted of marine fish caught through fishing, 3 percent from other marine products, 3.1 percent from inland water products and 60.4 percent from aquaculture products. Bayraktar noted that fisheries production in 2025 rose by 15.3 percent compared with the previous year, reaching 410,428 tonnes.
Bayraktar pointed out that catch production had increased by 12.6 percent compared to the 364,100-tonne level recorded in 2020 and stated that the total quantity of marine fish caught stood at 346,366 tonnes.
Bayraktar stated that, by species, anchovy ranked first with a production of 245,261 tonnes, followed by mackerel at 28,388 tonnes and sardines at 19,667 tonnes.
Emphasising that Türkiye possesses strong fisheries potential thanks to its long coastline, rich seas, extensive inland water resources and rivers, Bayraktar said that the sustainability of this potential depends on the protection of marine and inland water ecosystems and the management of fisheries resources in accordance with scientific principles.
“Our fisheries exports have risen to 2.3 billion dollars”
Indicating that Türkiye holds a net exporter position in the fisheries trade, Bayraktar said, “Developments in production capacity, product diversity and export markets in recent years have also had a positive impact on exports.”
Bayraktar reported that fisheries exports, which exceeded the 2 billion dollar threshold for the first time in 2024, reached 2.3 billion dollars in 2025.
He underlined that the 3 billion dollar export target set by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry for 2028 presents a significant opportunity for the development of the sector’s production and foreign trade capacity.
“Per capita consumption needs to be increased”
Pointing out that whilst seafood consumption in Türkiye has risen in recent years, it remains below the global average, Bayraktar noted, “The global average annual per capita seafood consumption is approximately 19 kilograms, whereas in the country this figure stands at 8.8 kilograms.”
“In order to boost consumption, products must be made available to consumers regularly and at affordable prices; the cold chain and distribution infrastructure must be developed and educational and promotional campaigns regarding the role of fish in the diet must be expanded,” Bayraktar added…
