Turkey has emerged as the leading country in Mediterranean and Black Sea fisheries, aquaculture and fleet capacity, according to the 2025 State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries report by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM).
Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı said regional fishing output reached 1.12 million tons in 2023, up 13% from the previous year. He noted that more than 83,000 fishing vessels operate in the two seas, 81% of them small‑scale, with the Black Sea accounting for nearly 40% of total production.
Yumaklı highlighted improvements in stock sustainability, citing anchovy, deep‑water pink shrimp and sole as sustainably managed species, and pointed to recovery in Black Sea turbot stocks thanks to regional management measures.
He said aquaculture production in the region hit 2.97 million tons in 2023, with Turkey contributing 43% of marine output. Turkey also holds 17.4% of the fishing fleet, 31.4% of catches and 43% of aquaculture, ranking first in all three categories. The country produces more than 70% of Black Sea catches.
Yumaklı added that Turkey has become a global exporter of sea bass and gilt‑head bream, and its strong production and fleet capacity make it a key player in ecological and economic dynamics. He noted Turkey was recently elected to chair the GFCM for the first time, strengthening its role in regional fisheries governance and sustainability.