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18th Apr 13

Managed by Chatham House

Financed by DEFRA

Turkey

Turkey has four main marine fishing grounds: the Black Sea for anchovy, mullet, bonito, whiting, and horse mackerel; the Marmara Sea for anchovy, mullet, bonito, whiting, tuna and shrimp; the Aegean Sea for sea bream, sea bass, octopus, squid, sardine, swordfish, bonito, tuna and shark; and the Mediterranean Sea for tuna, sardine, octopus, squid, calamari and shrimp. By far the largest number of fishers work in the small-scale fishery sector.

Marine capture fisheries historically contributed over 90% of Turkey's total catch, but this has reduced in recent years due to overfishing and pollution.

The main export products are live crustaceans, molluscs, mussel, oyster and frozen, chilled and canned high value pelagic and cultured fish species. The major export markets are EU countries (especially France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom), which account for almost 85% of both quantity and value of exports. Other destinations are Japan and Hong-Kong for molluscs and crustaceans, Lebanon for sea bream, and EFTA countries. The importance of export of canned products has increased in recent years, focusing on Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom. Among the exported items, fresh and chilled fish, sea bass and sea bream are the most important species.

Turkey has not escaped from the controversy surrounding the management of bluefin tuna stocks in the Mediterranean, and has seen NGO campaigns highlighting under-sized and illegally caught fish in Turkish restaurants. Turkish vessels have been involved in activities such as 'laundering' in which tuna caught by Turkish vessels has been declared within the French quota.

However, Turkey is one of four countries (the others being the US, Mexico and Canada) which believes that the current rush on Mediterranean tunas should be banned for at least three years so that enforcement measures can be put in place. The Turkish government requested that bluefin tuna management was on the agenda for the ICCAT conference in November 2007.

documents (4)
news (32)
presentations (1)

documents

Adrift! Swordfish and Driftnets in the Mediterranean Sea
28/10/2009
This report was documents the use of illegal driftnets in the Mediterranean Sea by countries including Italy,Morocco, Turkey and Algeria. Driftnets ha ...
Author: Oceana

The Plunder of BlueFin Tuna in the Mediterranean & East Atlantic During 2006-2007
31/10/2007
This report follows on from a similar one covering the period 2003-04. The author ex ...

Illegal Driftnetting in the Mediterranean
11/07/2007
This report reveals that the tourist’s taste for swordfish is wiping out the species and damaging the marine environment. Swordfish is a quintes ...
Author: Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF)

The Mismanagement of the Bluefin Tuna Fishery in the Mediterranean
15/11/2006
It is Greenpeace‘s view that the the lack of controls in the Mediterranean region means that bluefin tuna are facing very serious conservation pr ...
Author: Greenpeace

news

12/02/2012
Illegal fishing threatens fish industry in Turkish seas
Author: Sunday's Zaman

05/04/2010
Four Algerians, five Turks jailed for illegal fishing
Author: AFP

28/10/2009
Oceana presents proof on the use of illegal driftnets in the Mediterranean, and demands their complete elimination
Author: Oceana

17/10/2009
Algerian officials, ship owners charged with illegal fishing
Author: The Daily Star, Lebanon

12/10/2009
Annaba: 5 to 8 years in prison for illegal fishing
Author: Ennahar Online, Algeria

17/09/2009
Measures to protect Mediterranean tuna are failing, report warns
Author: Guardian, UK

21/06/2009
Trawlers held for illegal fishing
Author: The Straits Times, Singapore

15/06/2009
Oceana obtains evidence proving bluefin tuna is being caught illegally in Italy and Turkey
Author: Oceana

11/05/2009
The suicidal tendencies of the Turkish tuna fishery
Author: Greenpeace

20/02/2009
Turkish seiner detained for illegal fishing
Author: The Georgian Times

24/08/2008
Fishy is as fishy does
Author: Malta Today

03/08/2008
Cagey business: Maltas tuna export figures don't add up
Author: Malta Today

27/07/2008
Japanese sushi rage threatens iconic Mediterranean tuna
Author: AFP

16/07/2008
The fight to save our seas
Author: Majorca Daily Bulletin

09/07/2008
Same boat, new flag: fishing Mediterranean bluefin with impunity
Author: EU Business

23/06/2008
Oceana: Illegal tuna fishery is continuing
Author: Fishupdate.com

19/06/2008
Oceana documents Italian tuna purse seiners carrying out fishing activities after the closure of the fishery
Author: Oceana

19/06/2008
Oceana condems fishing vessels, who "ignore" fishery closure
Author: Fishupdate.com

01/06/2008
Fisheries director queries fishy Azzopardi flags
Author: Malta Today

21/05/2008
Azzopardi Fisheries caught up in net of EU investigations
Author: Malta Today

15/04/2008
Turkish poachers pay penalty, expelled from Ukrainian economic zone
Author: Government Portal, Ukraine

25/03/2008
Tuna talks look to cut down on overfishing
Author: AFP

12/03/2008
Bloated Mediterranean tuna fleet in race for the last bluefin
Author: WWF

24/01/2008
Turkish-Greek dispute rocks the boats
Author: Asia Times Online

15/11/2007
Earth log: Charles Clover‘s weekly column takes an inside look at the environment
Author: The Telegraph, UK

22/10/2007
Greenpeace demands closure of bluefin tuna fishery
Author: Fishupdate.com

17/10/2007
Last rites for a marine marvel?
Author: BBC News

04/10/2007
If fish can‘t breed, there will be no fish either, says Greenpeace
Author: Turkish Daily News

23/07/2007
Keep swordfish off the menu
Author: Slow Food International

11/07/2007
Report urges consumers not to order swordfish
Author: New Consumer, UK

11/07/2007
Pirates and Plunder: why swordfish is off the menu this summer
Author: Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF)

16/01/2007
Egypt: new measures to protect Mediterranean fish stocks
Author: allAfrica.com

presentations

Eliminating Illegal Driftnets from the Mediterranean
01/04/2008

Author:
Maria Jose Cornax, Oceana-Europe

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