Turkey's aquaculture exports exceed $1B in 2020

By Mustafa Calkaya

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's aquaculture exports exceeded $1 billion for the first time last year, according to data compiled by Anadolu Agency from the country's statistical authority.

The country's exports of fishes, crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates continued to increase last year.

The country's aquaculture exports were $744.56 million in 2016, $797.25 million in 2017, $879.59 million in 2018, $962.23 million in 2019 and over $1 billion in 2020.

At the import side, the country's aquaculture imports were $143.1 million last year.

The main destination of Turkish aquaculture exports were the Netherlands with $133.08 million, followed by Russia with $131.9 million, Italy with $121.45 million and Greece with $81.24 million.

Ramazan Ozkaya, the head of the Central Union of Fishery Cooperative, said Turkey's main export products are trout, bream and seabass.

Turkey is the largest fish provider of Europe and even exports tuna to Japan, he noted.

He said the sector is continuing to work for the 2023 aquaculture export target of $2 billion.

*Writing by Gokhan Ergocun from Istanbul