The Istanbul fi sh auction

Horeca sector. Seabass can easily be fi lleted which aff ords a wide range of options when preparing it compared with seabream. Restaurant chefs like this fl exibility that seabass off ers, which is why producers tend to cultivate more of it than of seabream. Mr Toguc buys his larvae and feed from among the many big producers in the area. Suppliers vary depending on the situation—if one is not be able to provide the larvae at the time or in the quantity he needs, he approaches another. Currently, whole fi sh is the main product form for the association’s members, but Mr Toguc is trying to get the association to invest in a processing facility which will enable more value addition, for example, gutted fi sh, fi llets, other kinds of packaging, and even frozen products. Th e next step would be to establish a brand for the product that will highlight its origin in earthen ponds and from which all the members of the association could benefi t. Currently the fi sh is sold unbranded but at the retail level it is recognised for its high quality and its appearance and commands a price that is 10 to 15 higher than comparable sea farmed fi sh, says Mr Toguc. Creating a brand that refl ects these characteristics would be a good way to exploit the reputation the fi sh already enjoys.

The association’s strength lies in the common approach taken by its members

Each year the members of the association decide together how they should produce. Th is includes agreeing on the number of fi ngerlings that should go in the ponds for the next year, the proportion of seabass, seabream, meagre, or other species, the size the fi sh should be grown to, and other production parameters. When there are diff erences of opinion, the majority prevails. Being part of an association makes it easier to fi nd and negotiate with customers, says Mr Toguc, as there is strength in numbers and the volume of fi sh produced by the association as a whole, at about 4,500 tonnes, is much larger than that of an individual member. Th is gives the association a certain weight when dealing with traders. Th e organisation also works to ensure that issues like traceability and sustainability are addressed in the relevant local legislation, that changes are made to rules which discriminate against them, and it off ers advice to the local government on proposed laws that have a bearing on its members. Th e association in turn is a member of the central union of producers which unites associations from the sector from around the country to give them a voice at the federal level. While a small family-owned businesses is most concerned about local issues, this structure enables it to be represented in the corridors of power at diff erent levels in the system.

Fish raised in earthen ponds have sensory and visual characteristics usually associated with wild-caught fi sh. Farmers can demand a mark-up for individuals larger than the one pictured.

The fi rst sale of commercially caught Black Sea fi sh

The I ˙ stanbul Gürpınar Fisheries Market has been operating from its curent location since 2015. The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality subsidiary ISUON A S. is responsible for the market which is the biggest in Turkey with annual sales of 40,000 to 50,000 tonnes of both farmed and wild fi sh.

The market is co-located with the Istanbul fi sh auction. Auctions are held throughout the year, though during the fi shing season (September to March) there are many more auctions than at other times. While both farmed and wildcaught fi sh is sold at the market it is only the latter that goes through the auction, as prices for the farmed products are standard ones.

Black Sea catches provide most of the fi sh at the aution

Sıxty percent of the fi sh sold at the auction comes from the Black Sea, and most of the rest comes from the Sea of Marmara which borders Istanbul. Small quanitities of fi sh from the Aegean and the Mediterranean are also sold through the auction. Turkish catches of fi sh and seafood amounted to 331 thousand tonnes in 2020 of which 60 comes from the Black Sea. Th e rest is split between the Sea of Marmara, the Aegean, and the Mediterranean of which the latter has the lowest share of the total catch. Anchovy, horse mackerel, and bonito are the species most sold at the auction in terms of volumes. Some of the fi sh arrives in transport vessels which range from 30 to 60 m in length. Th e transport vessels