The Turkish seafood industry earned close to $974 million in exports in the first half of the year, marking a 4% increase compared to the same period last year, according to a report on Sunday.
The sector previously reached a record by increasing its exports from $1.7 billion in 2023 to $2.02 billion in 2024, according to data compiled by the Aegean Fishery and Animal Products Exporters’ Association and reported by Anadolu Agency (AA).
In the first half of this year, the Turkish seafood sector sold 132,500 tons of products to 78 countries.
Accordingly, seafood exports rose from $934.12 million in the January-June period last year to $973.82 million this year, marking a 4% increase.
The sector generated the most export revenue from seabass, totaling $302.96 million, followed by gilt-head bream at $273.7 million and Turkish salmon at $217.1 million.
Turkish salmon stood out by increasing its exports by 17% compared to the previous year, making it the fastest-growing export item in the country.
Russia was the top destination for Turkish seafood products, followed by Italy, the Netherlands, Greece and the U.K.
With a positive momentum, the Turkish seafood sector aims to set a new record by surpassing $2 billion in exports by the end of the year.
Sinan Kızıltan, the chairperson of Türkiye's sector board for Aquatic and Animal Products Exporters’ Associations, stated that exports in the sector are progressing positively.
He described Mediterranean fish among the tastiest in the world and added: "With three sides of the country surrounded by seas, we are leveraging this advantage to support exports."
"Although the total tonnage of our exports has decreased, the unit price of our exports has increased by about 20%. Therefore, our export revenue has risen," he said.
"We had set a goal of around $1 billion for the first six months and came very close. We expect a similar performance in the second half of the year. We foresee that our members will exceed $2 billion in total seafood exports across Türkiye," he suggested.
Kızıltan said seafood prices are rising globally, primarily because competitors have either maintained stable production or experienced decreases.
He emphasized that Türkiye has gained an advantage due to reduced supply in Europe and highlighted the crucial role of the support provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
Kızıltan stated that the Black Sea’s contribution to the country's seafood exports is increasing rapidly and highlighted the significance of salmon export growth.
He stated that 32,000 tons of Turkish salmon were produced in the first half of the year.
"We expect all of these fish and the frozen products to be sold by the end of the year. We anticipate this will generate about $500 to $600 million in export revenue for producers in the Black Sea region," he explained.
"What we call Turkish salmon is a type of trout. There are broad market opportunities here. As the fish is increasingly processed and filleted, we expect to reach many new markets."
"With investments especially in the Black Sea region, we project that by 2032, or by 2035 at the latest, Turkish salmon will generate over $1 billion in export revenue for Türkiye," he concluded.
