The online event "Innovative aquaculture practices and synergistic approaches with other sectors" organised by the Turkish National Hub in December 2023, brought together more than 70 stakeholders representing various maritime sectors. The event stressed the importance of collaborative efforts between national authorities, academia, development agencies, and private sector businesses to promote innovative aquaculture practices in the country. The Aquaculture Technical Group within the Common Maritime Agenda (CMA) was highlighted as a key platform for achieving Türkiye's future goals and priorities in the aquaculture field.
The workshop’s agenda included panel discussions and interactive sessions focusing on current aquaculture practices, growth projections, and their resilience to stressors like climate change, pollution, deoxygenation, and harmful algae blooms. The participants focused on identifying potential areas for aquaculture, designing projects, assessing their impact on the ecosystem, and stimulating innovation in feed production, alternative energy methods, and smart aquaculture structures.
Türkiye's needs and goals in aquaculture were identified and participants discussed the following topics such as current marine aquaculture practices and growth rates, awareness raising about the influence of stressors like climate change and pollution and options for improvement, adaptation, and healthy planning in response to these factors. The objective is to enhance aquaculture’s sustainability, which can be achieved by strengthening communication between institutions and identifying key issues for research and investment in the sector in a roadmap for effective planning and implementation. The discussion has just started on potential solutions and applications that work in synergy with other sectors.
Aquaculture experts from Türkiye will continue to work within the CMA Sustainable Aquaculture Technical Group in close cooperation with the other participating countries, capitalising on their expertise and sharing knowledge and best practices.