TURKEY
for a quick and nutritious meal. About 42 of the 75,000 tonnes of seabass produced in 2014 was exported, while in the case of seabream over 70 of the production of 42,000 tonnes was sent abroad. Markets for seabass and seabream are mainly in the EU, but the industry, helped by the national carrier, Turkish Airlines, has been exploring other markets with success. These include the US as well as countries in the Middle East and even the Far East. Russia too has been growing in
importance particularly after the embargo on imports from the EU, but currency depreciation and a slowing economy have taken a toll. Turkish exports have been buoyed by the crisis in Greece, but most producers acknowledge that sooner or later the situation will normalise. A more lasting effect may be achieved if producers continue their practise of the last two years and put fewer juveniles into the cages. This has prevented overproduction and a slump in prices, a
problem that has affected the industry many times in the past. This moderation combined with an emphasis on finding new
markets and developing a wider range of products will stand the industry in good stead in the years to come.
Turkish exports of farmed seafood 2014 Tonnes
2013
Million euro
Tonnes
Million euro
Trout
21,643
83
20,612
78
Seabass
31,300
181
24,406
129
Seabream
29,592
134
24,286
95
82,535
398
69,304
302
Total
Source: Turkish Statistical Institute
Fish farming contributes to global nutrition as well as poverty alleviation
Industry must forge stronger links with consumers Hasan Girenes is President of Agriculture and Fisheries in the Yasar Group, a Turkish industrial conglomerate. He is also Chairman of the Izmir Fish Producers Association. Fish farming is an important industry in Turkey, where 230,000 tonnes of ďŹ sh were cultivated in 2014 of which 83,000 tonnes were exported. Although aquaculture plays an inceasingly important role in supplying the world with healthful protein, the industry suffers from a negative image.
A
s we all know, the global food system will experience intense pressure from several factors in the coming years. The major concerns are; increase in human population, higher animal protein demand per capita, climate change and higher energy prices. Today agriculture uses more than 40 of all land and 70 of all water resources of the world. With its current land and water use, it is clear that there is limited capacity for growth in terrestrial animal protein production. So the main question is “where will our food come from?â€? www.eurofishmagazine.com
# ! "# *-&&
Fish farming – lower emissions, higher efficiency On the other side, there is the fish farming industry. Since 2012, we produce more farmed fish than beef worldwide. When we compare the feed conversion efficiency of major proteins, the ratios are more or less as follows; cattle 6,8; pork 2,9; chicken 2,0; fish 1,5. This shows that fish is the most efficient animal protein. Besides, fish farming is most likely to meet the growing demand for animal products with the least demand on
ecosystems. According to research in Environmental Science & Technology Magazine, fish farming emits 10 times less greenhouse gases compared to beef production. And carbon footprint (carbon eq/kg edible product) of fish and beef are 2,9 and 30, consecutively. World capture fish production has reached its peak and has shown no growth since the 1980’s. In contrast, over the past three decades, aquaculture has developed to become the fastest-growing foodproducing industry in the world today. Owing to innovations in
technology and diversification in products and production systems, fish farming is expected to continue growing in the years to come. As FAO report, 2014 was the first year in which aquaculture production exceeded that of products from capture fisheries.
Multiple health benefits from consuming fish Fish farming has an important role to play in our future as a provider of nutritious safe food. Farmed fish is healthy, sustainable and affordable. It can both combat the failures of a western-type Eurofish Magazine 5/ 2015
39