Balancing Trade and Sustainability: Türkiye’s Squid and Cuttlefish Market Dynamics

Year 2025, Volume: 6 Issue: 1, 53 - 60, 26.03.2025

Sevil Demirci

https://doi.org/10.56430/japro.1617852

Abstract

Türkiye's squid and cuttlefish production struggles to meet domestic demand due to limited local supply. This study examines production levels, trade balances, and economic impacts using data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) and international sources. Production relies on natural stocks, providing stability but remaining insufficient. Between 2005 and 2024, export volumes fluctuated between 523.8 and 1,026.8 tons, while imports rose from 1,558.8 tons in 2005 to 5,204.4 tons in 2022. Import expenditures increased from $2.6 million to $31.5 million, emphasizing Türkiye’s reliance on external sources. The zero-tariff agreement with Malaysia supports imports, yet Malaysia’s production capacity is insufficient to meet Türkiye’s needs. China’s large-scale harvesting and processing, particularly of Dosidicus gigas and Todarodes pacificus, likely contribute to these products reaching Türkiye via Malaysia. The COVID-19 pandemic caused imports to drop to 2,397.1 tons in 2020, recovering to 3,656.9 tons by 2023. Export revenues peaked at $4.8 million in 2021 but did not offset trade deficits. The study provides insights into market dependencies and trade imbalances. To achieve a sustainable balance, Türkiye must improve fisheries management, diversify supply sources, and reduce import dependency through strategic trade policies.

Keywords

Cuttlefish trade, Import-export balance, Squid trade, Sustainable seafood strategies

References

• Arkhipkin, A. I., Rodhouse, P. G., Pierce, G. J., Sauer, W., Sakai, M., Allcock, L., Arguelles, J., Bower, J. R., Castillo, G., Ceriola, L., … & Yamashiro, C. (2015). World squid fisheries. Reviews in Fisheries Science & Aquaculture, 23(2), 92-252. https://doi.org/10.1080/23308249.2015.1026226
• Boletzky, S. V. (1983). Cephalopod life cycles. Academic Press.
• Caddy, J. F., & Rodhouse, P. G. (1998). Cephalopod and groundfish landings: Evidence for ecological change in global fisheries? Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 8(4), 431-444. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008824208118
• Can, M. F., Şimşek, E., Demirci, A., Akar, Ö., & Demirci, S. (2020). The evaluation of the early impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the export of fishery commodities of Turkey. Marine and Life Sciences, 2(1), 18-27.
• Chen, X., Liu, B., & Chen, Y. (2008). A review of the development of Chinese distant-water squid jigging fisheries. Fisheries Research, 89(3), 211-221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2007.10.012
• Demirci, A., Şimşek, E., Can, M. F., Akar, Ö., & Demirci, S. (2020). Has the pandemic (COVID-19) affected the fishery sector on a regional scale? A case study on the fishery sector in Hatay province, Turkey. Marine and Life Sciences, 2(1), 13-17.
• Duysak, Ö., Özcan, G., Çek, Ş., & Türeli, C. (2014). Reproductive biology of the common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) in İskenderun Bay (Northeastern Mediterranean Sea). Indian Journal of Geo-Marine Sciences, 43(9).
• FAO. (2012). The state of world fisheries and aquaculture. FAO.
• FAO. (2020). The state of world fisheries and aquaculture. FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/ca9229en
• Forsythe, J. W., DeRusha, R. H., & Hanlon, R. T. (1994). Growth, reproduction, and life span of Sepia officinalis (Cephalopoda: Mollusca) cultured through seven consecutive generations. Journal of Zoology London, 233(2), 175-192. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1994.tb08582.x
• Gazihan, A. (2017). Investigations on ecosystem-based fisheries management strategies for the Turkish seas (Doctoral dissertation, Middle East Technical University).
• Gleadall, I. G., Moustahfid, H., Sauer, W. H. H., Ababouch, L., Arkhipkin, A. I., Bensbai, J., Elegbede, I., Faraj, A., Ferreiro-Velasco, P., González-Gómez, R., … & Yamaguchi, T. (2024). Towards global traceability for sustainable cephalopod seafood. Marine Biology, 171, 44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-023-04300-6
• Gökoğlu, N. (2021). Molluscan shellfish. In N. Gökoğlu (Ed.), Shellfish processing and preservation (pp. 129-250). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-60303-8_3
• Liu, B., Chen, X., Chen, Y., & Tian, S. (2013). Geographic variation in statolith trace elements of the Humboldt squid, Dosidicus gigas, in high seas of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Marine Biology, 160, 2853-2862. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-013-2276-7
• Ospina-Alvarez, A., de Juan, S., Pita, P., Ainsworth, G. B., Matos, F. L., Pita, C., & Villasante, S. (2022). A network analysis of global cephalopod trade. Scientific Reports, 12, 322. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-03777-9
• Pierce, G. J., & Portela, J. (2014). Fisheries production and market demand. In J. Iglesias, L. Fuentes & R. Villanueva (Eds.), Cephalopod culture (pp. 41-58). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8648-5_3
• Pierce, G. J., Belcari, P., Bustamante, P., Challier, L., Cherel, Y., González, Á., Guerra, Á., Jereb, P., Koueta, N., Lefkaditou, E., … & Zumholz, K. (2010). The future of cephalopod populations, fisheries, culture, and research in Europe. ICES Cooperative Research Report.
• Rodhouse, P. G., Pierce, G. J., Nichols, O. C., Sauer, W., Arkhipkin, A., Laptikhovsky, V., Lipiński, M. R., Ramos, J. E., Gras, M., Kidokoro, H., Sadayasu, K., Pereira, J., Lefkaditou, E., Pita, C., Gasalla, M., Haimovici, M., Sakai, M., & Downey, N. (2014). Environmental effects on cephalopod population dynamics: Implications for management of fisheries. Advances in Marine Biology, 67, 99-233. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-800287-2.00002-0
• Vidal, E. A. G., Villanueva, R., Andrade, J. P., Gleadall, I. G., Iglesias, J., Koueta, N., Rosas, C., Segawa, S., Grasse, B., Franco-Santos, R. M., … & Wood, J. (2014). Cephalopod culture: Current status of main biological models and research priorities. Advances in Marine Biology, 67, 1-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-800287-2.00001-9
• Vieites, J. M., Ruiz, C. S., Fernández, F., & Alonso, R. C. (2019). Importance of cephalopod health and welfare for the commercial sector. In C. Gestal, S. Pascual, Á. Guerra, G. Fiorito & J. M. Vieites (Eds.), Handbook of pathogens and diseases in cephalopods (pp. 15-30). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11330-8_2
• Villasante, S., Sumaila, R., & Antelo, M. (2014). Why cooperation is better: The gains of cooperative management of the Argentine shortfin squid fishery in South America. In S. Barrett, K.-G. Mäler & E. Maskin (Ed.), Environment and development economics: Essays in honour of sir Partha Dasgupt (pp. 270-294). Oxford university Press.