President Erdoğan: “We need to protect our seas”

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the opening of the 2024-2025 fishery season at the Yenikapı Fishing Harbor. President Erdoğan stated, “We need to protect our bountiful seas. Unfortunately, we have serious deficiencies in this regard. Last week, we saw the scenes in the İzmir Bay. We vividly remember the mucilage problem we experienced in the Golden Horn three years ago. We all pay the price for negligence and indifference as a nation. Therefore, I expect more sensitivity from you, my fisherman brothers.”

In his speech during the program, President Erdoğan said, “As every season, we are opening our season by saying ‘vira bismillah’. As the son of a captain, as your brother, I can read the excitement in your eyes. I pray for a fruitful season from my Lord. Until today, we have always stood by our fisherman brothers. To develop our sector, we provided a total of 45 billion lira in direct cash support, including 23 billion lira in reduced tax fuel support and 16 billion lira in aquaculture support. We have implemented fish stocking activities in seas and inland waters to increase our fish stocks.”

“Last week, we saw the scenes in the İzmir Bay; we all pay the price for negligence and indifference as a nation,” President Erdoğan continued. “In 2023, we brought 100 million fish fry together with our bountiful waters. Thanks to the efforts of our fishermen and the support, the fishery sector has always been a sector of records. In the 2023-2024 season, the annual production amount exceeded 1 million tons for the first time, adding a new record. We are breaking records not only in production but also in exports every year. Last year, we exported to approximately 100 countries, thus providing a revenue of 1.7 billion dollars to the national economy. I thank our fishermen who contributed to all these successes. We need to protect our bountiful seas. Unfortunately, we have serious deficiencies in this regard. Last week, we saw the scenes in the İzmir Bay. We vividly remember the mucilage problem we experienced in the Golden Horn three years ago. We all pay the price for negligence and indifference as a nation. Therefore, I expect more sensitivity from you, my fisherman brothers,” he stated.

“Our fishing vessels equipped with the latest technology are also showing their presence in international waters. Every year, we sign fishing agreements with new countries to enable our fishermen to obtain fishing rights,” President Erdoğan said, adding, “Last year, we increased the number of countries with which we reached agreements from 10 to 15 this year. We are in the final stages of negotiations with 12 countries. Currently, we are engaged in fishing activities in 8 different countries. In the upcoming period, we will further increase our overseas fishing initiatives. We will do much more to obtain what is rightfully ours in accordance with our country’s interests. We aim to establish the fishing industry in international waters. My request from you, my brothers, is to adhere to the rules introduced for fishery. My fisherman brothers are the best protectors of the sea. I expect sensitivity from you in this regard. Remember, these seas, these fish are not our inheritance but a trust. I wish you good fortune and entrust our blue waters to you fishermen.”