Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı announced that with this year’s additions, the number of aquatic species under production planning in Türkiye has risen to 16. As a result, more than 80 percent of the country’s total aquaculture and fisheries output is now managed under planned production.

Minister Yumaklı stated that the scope of production planning, introduced to ensure sustainability in aquatic resources, has been expanded. He noted that crayfish, bigeye tuna, swordfish and turbot were added to fisheries, while trout was included in aquaculture. At present, 11 species in fisheries and 5 in aquaculture are managed through planned production.

According to the Ministry’s official announcement, production planning in aquaculture began on January 1, 2024, while fisheries planning started on September 1, 2024. Previously, Turkish salmon, gilthead sea bream, European sea bass and Mediterranean mussel had been included in aquaculture; while Bluefin tuna, sea cucumber, pearl mullet, medicinal leech, white sand clam, eel and anchovy were covered under fisheries planning.

Yumaklı underlined that the Fisheries Production Planning Board’s decision for the 2025–2027 period has been circulated to all 81 provincial directorates, specifying minimum and maximum production levels for aquaculture enterprises and management plans tailored for each fisheries species.

 “Every stage of the production planning process is monitored through field inspections, landing points and electronic monitoring systems,” Yumaklı emphasized, adding that aquaculture producers and fishermen under the planning regime also benefit from incentives, support schemes and reduced-interest loans.

Turkey’s aquaculture and fisheries sector has grown rapidly in recent years. According to data released by TurkStat in June, total production exceeded 1 million tons in 2023, with aquaculture products accounting for 55 percent of the volume.