Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı, who went to Trabzon, conducted inspections at the Trabzon Su Ürünleri Merkez Araştırma Enstitüsü on Sunday, August 31. Afterwards, Minister Yumaklı, who visited the Trabzon Governorship and Trabzon Metropolitan Municipality, attended the opening of the 2025-2026 fishing season. The opening of the fishing season held at the Yoroz Balıkçı Barınağı in the Çarşıbaşı district was attended by Minister Yumaklı, as well as Trabzon Governor Aziz Yıldırım, Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ahmet Metin Genç, Trabzon Parliament Members Adil Karaismailoğlu, Yılmaz Büyükaydın, Vehbi Koç and Sibel Suiçmez, General Director of Fisheries and Aquaculture Turgay Türkyılmaz, district municipality mayors, political party representatives, public institution managers, citizens and fishermen.
The program, which started with a concert by the Trabzon Büyükşehir Belediyesi Kanuni Mehteran Takımı and folk dance performances, took place in a enthusiastic atmosphere. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister Yumaklı said, “We will open our 2025-2026 hunting season by saying ‘Vira Bismillah’ (Let’s Go, In the Name of God). We will also send off 2 of our fishermen to international waters. I wholeheartedly wish that the new hunting season we are opening will be beneficial and auspicious for our sector, for Trabzon, for our hunters and our captains. While the Anatolian farmer obtains yield from the soil with labor and effort, you also struggle with the fierce waves of our seas to bring a variety of seafood to our tables. I extend my gratitude to everyone who has labored and sweated for this cause, especially our captains and fishermen, in ensuring our food supply security.”
Stating that they provided over 50 billion liras in interest-discounted loans to 61 thousand fishermen and producers to meet their financing needs, Minister Yumaklı said, “Turkey is among the countries pointed out with a finger in every branch of agricultural production; be it plant, animal, or aquatic products. Our country’s agricultural output ranks 1st in Europe and 7th in the world when compared globally. Our strength in this sense should not be underestimated. Our country has significant potential not only in agricultural production but also in aquatic products production. And we have managed to unlock this potential with effective policies we have implemented over the last 23 years. We have implemented many projects, issues, and regulations to develop our aquatic products sector and increase its resilience against risks. To increase aquatic products production, we provided 19 billion liras in production support, 700 million liras in small fisherman support, and a total of 51 billion liras in support with others. To meet the financing needs of our fishermen, we provided over 50 billion liras in interest-discounted loans to 61 thousand of our fishermen and producers. For the 2024-2026 period, we increased the treasury-backed agricultural credit limit from 15 million liras to 40 million liras. In these loans, we also provided the possibility of up to 100% interest discount for the first time. We enabled our strong fishing fleets to fish not only in our own territorial waters but also in international waters. We made the necessary agreements with the relevant countries. And we continue to do so. In the coming periods, we will enable our fishermen to make agreements with many more countries. The number of countries with which we signed a fishing agreement this year has increased to 17. Negotiations with 20 countries are ongoing.
“Inshallah, today we will also send off our 2 fishing boats from Trabzon to Oman,” he said.
“Our production in the fisheries sector has exceeded 1 million tons”
Minister Yumaklı, emphasizing that they conducted over 200 thousand inspections last fishing season, stated: “Inspections and control activities also have an important place in ensuring sustainability in fisheries production. Last season, we conducted over 200 thousand inspections. I thank all our fishermen who carry out their activities in accordance with the rules. Our aim while conducting inspections is not to issue fines; I emphasize, what is important here is to ensure deterrence against illegal fishing. Inshallah, we will also implement an important service item in this area in the upcoming period. We are about to complete the construction of the Marmara Sea Fisheries Control and Inspection Center, which meets international standards. As a result of these efforts, our fisheries sector has achieved significant successes. Our production in the fisheries sector has increased by 60% from 600 thousand tons to over 1 million tons. Our country has also crowned this success with exports. Inshallah, we will advance the $2 billion export figure even further. I especially want to state that we are a fishing country recognized in the international community with a strong fishing structure in our blue homeland, skilled captains, equipped and technological production methods, exports, and employment. Indeed, in the coming period, our fisheries and our captains will make a name for themselves. Of course, there is a balance of protection and use. I want to say that this is also possible with production planning.”
“We will provide support in the coming days to our fishermen negatively affected by mucilage”
Minister Yumaklı, stating “We have started planned production in 7 products, especially anchovy, and in 4 products in aquaculture,” said, “Inshallah, this year we are including swordfish, longfin tuna, turbot, and crayfish in fishing, and trout in aquaculture production planning. I saw that satisfaction regarding the change in the bonito fishing season is very high. Inshallah, the decisions we will make together with the sector will be important both in terms of sustainability and in terms of the sector earning better income.”
Yumaklı continued his words as follows: “I want to share two pieces of good news for our fishermen and captains regarding our sector. As you know, we act quickly in the face of damages from natural disasters like earthquakes and floods that the sector encounters, and we stand by our producers. We will also provide support in the coming days to our fishermen who were negatively affected by the mucilage seen in the Marmara Sea. Furthermore, we are working with the relevant Ministries to solve the insurance problems of our fishermen and fishing vessels. You have been preparing for this day for months. You have repaired your boats. You have mended your torn nets and strengthened them. You have made your final preparations by checking the engines. Now, by saying ‘vira bismillah,’ it is time to meet our nets with the blue waters. I wish the 2025-2026 fisheries season to be beneficial for our country, our nation, our sector, and our fishermen. May God clear your path and your fortune, and grant you a season full of abundance without accidents or troubles. I present my gratitude to our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, for his support in the strengthening and growth of our sector. May your seas be plentiful, your winds favorable, and your nets abundant. I wish for a season without accidents or troubles, healthy and peaceful.”
Following Minister Yumaklı’s speech, a prayer was recited.
Subsequently, the release into the sea of sturgeon and turbot produced through the study conducted by the Central Fisheries Research Institute was carried out. At the ceremony, Minister Yumaklı also saw off the 2 boats that will go to Oman.
