Abstract
In this study, the effects of the pandemic, which started to affect the world to 2019-December, on the world aquaculture sector were evaluated with SWOT analysis (opportunities, benefits, and threats). Previous studies on this subject were scanned using certain keywords (COVID-19, pandemic, coronavirus, fishing, fisheries), and a total of 33 studies were listed. Previous studies were classified according to the sub-areas (continents) determined by FAO. The effects of the pandemic on the sector were tried to be determined according to the continents. Accordingly, the threats on a global scale were supply-demand imbalances, closure of restaurants, storage inadequacies, plastic pollution, closure of borders, illegal fishing, inequalities in the sector, and curfew restrictions. The opportunities; creation of new supply chains, raising awareness about the seafood that positive effect on health, establishing a supply-demand balance, granting work permits to fishermen during curfews, allocation of funds to be used in extraordinary situations such as pandemics, development of aquaculture, implementation of measures for the continuity of import-export, providing economic aid packages to vulnerable sector workers such as small scale fisheries, limiting the sexist understanding in the sector, and giving more opportunities to women, and cooperation with riparian countries to prevention of illegal fishing. Its benefits are listed as prevention of overfishing in the short term, protection of fish stocks, reduction of industrial pollution in the aquatic ecosystem, adoption of an ecosystem-based fishing approach in small settlements, and an increase in recreational fishing. As a result of this analysis, it has been understood that we may create accurate and fair international cooperation to solve the adverse effects of pandemia. With this gained experience, it is thought that new production strategies should be developed for trustable food supply chains in the changing world.