Climate Change, Carbon Footprint, Fisheries: Türkiye

Abstract

This review provides a comprehensive assessment of the effects of climate change, the concept of carbon footprint, and the Turkish fisheries sector in the context of environmental sustainability. Fossil fuel-based production and consumption models, which have gained momentum since the industrial revolution, have increased greenhouse gas emissions and caused severe disruptions in the global climate system. In this process, carbon footprint has emerged as an important indicator that enables the quantitative monitoring of environmental impacts and serves as a critical tool in developing environmental sustainability policies by measuring individual or sectoral greenhouse gas emissions. As of 2020, the global annual CO₂ equivalent greenhouse gas emissions from fisheries activities amounted to 64 million tonnes, while the emissions from the fisheries sector in Türkiye, which includes fisheries and aquaculture activities, were estimated at 59,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent. The fisheries sector in Türkiye is among the sectors vulnerable to climate change. However, there are only a limited number of scientific studies on carbon footprint, which is an essential tool for monitoring environmental impacts. The “Climate Law” was published in the Official Gazette on July 9, 2025, in Türkiye. The law introduces the obligation for businesses that carry out activities that directly cause greenhouse gas emissions, and therefore for the fisheries sector, to obtain greenhouse gas emission permits in order to carry out these activities. In this study, the effects of international strategies developed within the framework of the European Green Deal and the Paris Agreement on the Turkish fisheries sector were discussed, and it was concluded that strategies should be developed to monitor and reduce emissions, emphasising the need to transition to sustainable and low-emission production models.

Keywords

• Climate change
• Greenhouse gases
• Carbon footprint
• Fisheries

İklim Değişikliği, Karbon ayak izi, Balıkçılık: Türkiye

Abstract

Bu derleme çalışması, iklim değişikliğinin etkilerini, karbon ayak izi kavramı ve Türkiye balıkçılık sektörü özelinde ele alarak çevresel sürdürülebilirlik bağlamında bütüncül bir değerlendirme sunmaktadır. Sanayi devrimi sonrası dönemde hız kazanan fosil yakıt temelli üretim ve tüketim modelleri, sera gazı emisyonlarını artırarak küresel iklim sisteminde ciddi bozulmalara yol açmıştır. Bu süreçte karbon ayak izi, çevresel etkilerin nicel olarak izlenebilmesini sağlayan önemli bir gösterge niteliğinde olup bireysel veya sektörel sera gazı salımlarının ölçülmesiyle çevresel sürdürülebilirliğe yönelik politikaların geliştirilmesinde kritik bir araç olarak öne çıkmaktadır. 2020 yılı itibariyle küresel ölçekte balıkçılık faaliyetleri için hesaplanan 64 milyon ton yıllık CO₂ eşdeğeri sera gazı salımına karşılık Türkiye’de balıkçılık ve su ürünleri yetiştiriciliği faaliyetlerini kapsayan su ürünleri sektörü için tespit edilen emisyon miktarı 59 bin ton CO₂ eşdeğeridir. Türkiye’de balıkçılık sektörü, iklim değişikliğine karşı kırılgan sektörler arasında yer almakta; buna rağmen çevresel etkilerin izlenmesinde önemli bir araç olan karbon ayak izi konusunda ülkede sınırlı sayıda bilimsel çalışma bulunmaktadır. Türkiye'de “İklim Kanunu” 9 Temmuz 2025 tarihinde Resmi Gazete'de yayımlandı. Yasa ile doğrudan sera gazı salımına neden olan faaliyetler yürüten işletmelere, dolayısıyla balıkçılık sektörü için de bu faaliyetleri yürütebilmek için sera gazı emisyon izni alma zorunluluğu getirilmektedir. Bu çalışmada, Avrupa Yeşil Mutabakatı ve Paris Anlaşması çerçevesinde geliştirilen uluslararası stratejilerin, Türkiye balıkçılık sektörüne etkileri tartışılmış, sürdürülebilir ve düşük emisyonlu üretim modellerine geçişin gerekliliği vurgulanarak, emisyonlarının izlenmesi ve azaltılmasına yönelik stratejiler geliştirilmesi gerektiği sonucuna varılmıştır.

Keywords

• İklim değişikliği
• Sera gazları
• Karbon ayak izi
• Balıkçılık

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