The United Nations Declares 2022 the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture

Fish rich in omega-3 strengthens the immune system. Fish serves as an antidote to the Covid-19 virus. While the World Health Organization recommends consuming fish 2-3 times per week globally, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2022 as the International Year of Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA 2022).

The Turkish Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector, which has increased its exports approximately 18-fold over the last 20 years, gained renewed momentum to break new export records following the United Nations General Assembly's declaration of 2022 as the International Year of Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA 2022). Sinan Kızıltan, Chairman of the Sector Board of Turkey's Fisheries and Aquaculture Products Exporters Association, stated that they reached USD 1,053 million in exports in 2020 and noted that the UN decision serves as a motivational source for achieving their USD 1.5 billion export target set for 2023. Pointing out that the fisheries and aquaculture sector's role in food security, nutrition and sustainable use of natural resources will be presented with global awareness, Kızıltan said: "This decision is also very important for developing dialogue among different stakeholders. This decision particularly offers opportunities for small-scale producers to establish partnerships with each other and to make themselves visible in policy and decision-making processes that shape their daily lives."  

Aquaculture production heads towards 1 million tonnes

Kızıltan, providing information that the Turkish fisheries and aquaculture sector reached production of 836,000 tonnes, continued: "Within our sector's 836,000 tonnes of production, aquaculture has reached 373,356 tonnes through investments made over the last 20 years. Aquaculture's share is expected to exceed the volume of fisheries products obtained through capture fishing by 2025. We are heading towards 1 million tonnes in production. The United Nations General Assembly's declaration of 2022 as the International Year of Fisheries and Aquaculture demonstrates how sound an investment Turkey has made in the fisheries and aquaculture sector."  

First-quarter exports reached USD 304.5 million

Turkey's fisheries and aquaculture exports rose by 28% in the first quarter of 2021, increasing from USD 247.8 million to USD 304.5 million. Exports of fisheries and aquaculture products by volume rose from 47,505 tonnes to 56,475 tonnes. Sea bass led exports with USD 101,242,000, increasing by 20% from USD 84 million in the first quarter of 2020. Sea bream exports were USD 71.5 million in January-March 2020 and rose by 25% to USD 86.6 million in the first quarter of 2021. Rainbow trout exports totaled USD 35 million, while Turkish salmon achieved record export growth of 726%, jumping from USD 2.5 million to USD 21 million. The Turkish fisheries and aquaculture sector earned USD 20.5 million in foreign currency from tuna exports.