Turkey makes the most of the bounty offered by its seas

New industry farming Mediterranean mussel takes off

Turkey has created the legal and physical infrastructure to start farming Mediterranean mussels. Annual production capacity will be in the range of 40,000 tonnes

In Turkey, as in other parts of the world, efforts to increase the share of protein from the sea encourage the development of fishing and aquaculture. Bivalve aquatic products especially mussels are considered the most valuable source of marine protein after fish. However, due to the negative environmental conditions and because of fishing pressure there has been a steady decrease in mussel stock volumes.

New strategic plan to increase mussel production

Until 2018, almost all mussel production was obtained by fishing from natural mussel beds. In order to reduce the fishing pressure and to increase production, a new plan was developed under which suitable areas for aquaculture in the seas were identified and entrepreneurs who wanted to produce mussels were allocated a space in which to farm mussels. The plan also took into account the protection of existing stocks, the sustainability of production, and tries to ensure a stable contribution to the economy.

As a result, 26 farms have started to produce Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) following the stipulations of the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The Mediterranean mussel is found in widespread natural deposits on the Marmara,

Turkish companies have started farming Mediterranean mussels in response to a new plan drawn up by the government. Current production is about 21,000 tonnes, but this is expected to increase to 38,000 tonnes following investments by the companies.

Aegean, and Black Sea coasts and has the privilege of being the most consumed species in the country. It is also the most cultivated bivalve species and a healthy, reliable and sustainable product. Although mussel farming is a new field for Turkey, it has the potential to grow rapidly offers investors an interesting opportunity.

Farm area must be thoroughly studied before production begins

The farms produce 20,600 tonnes of mussels a year on an area of approximately 200 ha. It is expected that annual production capacity will reach 38,000 tonnes with the completion of the investments by 13 enterprises with a capacity of almost 18,000 tonnes during the investment phase. The management of bivalve farming in Turkey is carried out within the framework of the aquaculture regulation.

During the application process, the physical and oceanographic characteristics of the marine area where the mussels will be farmed are evaluated according to the parameters specified in the official communiqué on the quality standards of waters in which shellfish are grown. In addition to these basic requirements, a technical report is prepared by the faculties or fisheries research institutes that provide training on aquaculture, regarding the field, species and method of aquaculture. The technical report also evaluates the abundance of toxic algae and the possibility of biotoxin accumulation in the area, as well as the suitability of the marine environment in terms of nutrient content.

Gülser Fidanci, Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, gulser. fidanci@tarimorman.gov.tr