Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing

Izola – The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food has launched a national campaign to promote local fisheries in a bid to raise awareness among consumers about the positive aspects of fish and mussel as food and about local fisheries traditions and heritage.

Illegal fishing in Greek territorial waters is also a violation of European law

Fish stocks in the Black Sea are dwindling and commercial fishing is causing more and more environmental damage, causing concern that has grabbed the attention of NGOs and EU lawmakers. 

Fishery production in Turkey posted a 6.1% decline last year on an annual basis, the country's statistical authority said on June 4. 

The fishery production totaled 785,811 tons in 2020, according to TÜİK figures.

The total fishery production comprised 37.1% caught sea fish, 5% other sea products, 4.2% inland water products, and 53.6% aquaculture products, it noted.

The fish population has increased rapidly following the strict implementation of the law against illegal fishing, where the officials have seized around 150 illegal fishing boats so far and fined thousands of Turkish Liras to the poachers, the Agriculture and Forestry minister said.

Overfishing has been depleting fish stocks, Professor Bayram Öztürk has warned, as the fishing season started with the end of the ban on Sept. 1. Measures against overfishing, especially in terms of preventing illegal fishing, should be taken alongside encouraging traditional family fishing, said Öztürk, the head of the Turkish Research Marine foundation.

90% of the EU's external trade and 40% of its internal trade is transported by sea. Safe and secure seas and oceans are of fundamental importance for free trade, the EU economy and living standards. 

The Council today adopted conclusions on the revision of the EU maritime security strategy (EUMSS) action plan.

On 18 June 2018 the Council adopted a regulation setting out revised rules on management, conservation and control measures applicable in the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation Convention Area (SPRFMO).

The Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture has launched widespread inspections for illegal fishing, the Ministry of Agriculture has announced.

More than 2,300 illegal fishing nets have been confiscated. Inspections were conducted in marketplaces nationwide.

Each one of us is eating an average of 20 kilograms of fish annually. This is almost twice as much of the figure recorded 50 years ago. It does not seem that this figure will ever decrease, because the demand for fish in the world is continuously increasing. However, the problem is that fishing exceeds the production of the world's seas.