“Nature is the biggest challenge — we’re playing chess with nature over here,” says one of Agromey’s production managers while overlooking the dozens of cages filled with seabass and seabream in front of him. Rain, strong winds, waves and birds are the main threats his crew is battling regularly, he says. “Our system managers must be flexible, and be able to adapt quickly.”
The team of six people overlooking this particular farm site in a lonely bay in Izmir Karaburun, Turkey, seems, however, well-coordinated. It’s feeding time, and while talking to Fish Farming International during a visit in July this year, they never lose sight of the screens, showing the pictures of the cameras monitoring the fish in the busy cages.
Agromey is Turkey’s second largest fish producer, and operates about 400 of these cages along Turkey’s vast coastline. Every year, the company produces around 15,100 metric tons of fish — 55 percent of the production is seabass and 45 percent seabream, Cem Ozyesilpinar, export chief at the company, tells us. Within the next two years, management decided to stabilize overall production, he tells Fish Farming International. This comes on the back of a massive expansion, from only 3,000 metric tons in 2003 — following the unprecedented growth path of the Turkish aquaculture industry in general.
Rapid growth
The country’s aquaculture history started in 1986, with an annual production of only 3,000 metric tons. Today, it produces around 235,000 metric tons of farmed fish, boasting more than 2,000 fish farms, showing an increase of almost 150 percent from 2004 when the annual output amounted to 94,000 metric tons. Three main species — trout, seabream and seabass — account for the bulk of the country’s production, but it also farms smaller amounts of bluefin tuna, meagre, white grouper, common dentex and shrimp. Turkey is the world’s biggest producer of seabass and seabream, with total production of around 110,000 metric tons, the majority of which is exported.
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Fact File
Company: Agromey
Farm location: Izmir Karaburun, Turkey
Species: Seabass, seabream
Overall company production volume: 15,100
System: Marine cage net farming
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The bay in Izmir Karaburun houses 10 of Agromey’s, plus 63 other cages — most of them seabass. The fish spend around 18 months to two years in the cages, depending on the portion sizes the market demands. It’s a hard job, Ozyesilpinar says, and requires constant monitoring. Checking the nets for holes is part of the daily routine, just like the constant feeding of the fish. Each site is divided into an ongrowing area and a grow-out area. The cages — which measure 50 meters in diameter — are carried with a vessel around the bay accordingly. Through a feed barge, which can hold 2,200 metric tons, the team can feed three cages at a time.
Based in tech
Agromey is banking on Turkish and Norwegian tech for its operations: The feeding and management system was supplied by Akva, while the nets are from Turkish supplier Cakir, Emel, Derin Nets. The already vaccinated fingerlings are also purchased from several Turkish producers, which changes depending on the quality, Ozyesilpinar says. The company produces its own feed, which roughly consists of 45 percent protein and 19 percent fish oil, but changes with the size of the fish.
Two days before the fish are harvested, the feeding is cut completely, Ozyesilpinar says, to prolong their shelf life. “This needs a lot of planning to not lose too much weight,” he explains. The minimum size of the fish should be 350 grams, but differs according to customer needs.
Harvesting itself is relatively easy. Agromey has invested in a processing vessel, which lies on the shore close to the bay. The cages are simply transported close to the vessel. “This has a lot of benefits, including lower labor cost, lower logistical cost, freshness of the fish and time saving,” he says.
90% fresh
Around 90 percent of the fish hit the market fresh, the rest is frozen, even though the United States is the biggest market for the company — at least for seabass, as Ozyesilpinar tells Fish Farming International. In the past couple of years the US market has “grown significantly” for the company, also facilitated by better air routes offered by Turkish Airlines. The second biggest market is in Europe, in the Netherlands — where the company has a subsidiary, Agromey Holland — Italy, Spain and Russia. For seabream the Middle East is also becoming increasingly interesting, Ozyesilpinar says. About 70 percent of the company’s 15,100 metric tons of fish is destined for the export markets. “And we want to stay export-based. The Turkish per capita fish consumption is simply too low.” Nevertheless, the company is “open to new markets,” he says, adding that Russia will keep its growth potential.
Overall, it’s been a good year for Turkish bass and bream producers: prices have stabilized at higher levels, demand is strong and expectations are that prices will remain high for the rest of the year. “Since January prices have jumped significantly and I think they will stay like this,” Ozyesilpinar tells Fish Farming International. “And I don’t think they will drop because of lower and more stable production.”
“We also see the Greek impact; that less fish is coming out of there. We don’t struggle to sell our fish,” Ozyesilpinar says.
Last year, the company fetched about $54 million just through its private label export business, and Ozyesilpinar hopes this will further grow. Agromey, he says, has a strong and clear vision: fresh, whole and gutted seabass and seabream, served as quickly as possible to customers around the world. Unlike other Turkish producers, the company is not planning to invest in new species — it will focus on what it does best, he says. “We want to process as quickly as possible, and focus on profits.” The signs are in favor of the firm, he believes.
