AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION LEADS THE SEAFOOD INDUSTRY IN TURKEY...

Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli said that aquaculture production has surpassed  the amount of fisheries for the first time.

Last year, while the production of fishery products reached 314 thousand 94 tons, aquaculture production was realized as 314 thousand 537 tons" he said.

Pakdemirli stated that in 2018 approximately 628 thousand tons of seafood products obtained, in this context, 35.3 percent of the total production of fisheries, 9.9 percent of other seafood hunting, 4.8 percent of domestic fisheries and 50 percent of the aquaculture products.

Bream in aquaculture, bonito in fisheries...

Pakdemirli pointed out the products with the highest increase in production, "The maximum increase in aquaculture was 25.5 percent in sea bream with 76 thousand 680 tons production. 16.9 percent increase and 116 thousand 915 tons production of sea bass takes the second place, Trout ranked third with an increase of 4.4 per cent and production of 114 thousand 497 tons" he noted.

"The most proportional increase in fisheries is 308.1 percent with bonitos and then 197.9 percent increase of bluefish, thirdly mackerel follows with 51.6 percent increase. Total export of aquaculture last year was approximately 1 billion dollars and production target in aquaculture is 350 thousand tons this year" he concluded...