ADANA

The southern province of Adana is set to witness a major transformation in its aquaculture sector as offshore fish farming is introduced in the region for the first time.

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With the implementation of marine cage aquaculture, the city’s seafood production capacity is expected to increase tenfold.

The Agriculture and Forestry Ministry has designated a marine farming area between the coastal districts of Yumurtalık and Karataş, allowing for the cultivation of sea bream and sea bass with an annual capacity of 29,500 tons.

The allocation of sites began in 2021 and companies granted these allocations have been working on their farming projects.

Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry Mehmet Nuri Kökçüoğlu highlighted that agriculture in Adana is not solely limited to crop cultivation but also extends to its rich fresh water and marine resources.

He emphasized that aquaculture activities in the province include fish farming in dam reservoirs, fishing in lagoons and offshore fisheries.

Kökçüoğlu further revealed that one of the firms has already deployed cages in the sea and started operations. “Our goal is not only to expand production but also contribute significantly to the national economy by exporting farmed fish,” he stated.

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“The seafood cultivated in offshore cages will be harvested and exported generating valuable foreign exchange for our country. At present, Adana produces 9,000 tons of fish annually including 2,600 tons from freshwater aquaculture.”

With the implementation of offshore fish farming we anticipate increasing our aquaculture yield tenfold to approximately 30,000 tons,” he added.

Faruk Bükey, an aquaculture engineer and facility manager of the company that has commenced production further provided details about the project. “Currently our facility has a capability of 3,000 tons but this will eventually be expanded to 11,500 tons. The harvested fish will be processed in our factory in Kozan and then exported,” he said.

He further highlighted the advantages of the selected farming location, noting that the high water temperature and salinity levels combined with the pristine conditions of the open sea provide an ideal environment for fish farming.

“Due to these favorable conditions the cultivation period for our fish will be significantly reduced. Typically, it takes around 13 months for fish to reach portion size but in this region we aim to achieve the same results within 11 months,” he explained.

With increased production and exports, the initiative is expected to play a vital role in boosting both the local and national economies.