Ufuk Atakan Demir started working at AKG Group in in 2007, where he is currently general manager of the aquaculture companies Ertuğ Balık Üretim Tesisi and More Su Ürünleri Ticaret A.Ş. Additionally, he is a board member of the Aegean Aqua and Animal Products Exporters' Association and the Izmir Aquaculture Producers Association.
SeafoodSource: What role do you play in promoting seafood from Turkey?
Demir: Every year, we attend Seafood Expo North America in Boston. In 2018, Turkish seafood branding was displayed all around the exhibition center, and our introduction video played on the shuttle screens. We also participate at other trade fairs around the U.S., most recently at the International Chefs Congress, where we had Chef Özlem Oğuzcan Cranston cooking Turkish seafood for passers-by.
SeafoodSource: What are the major seafood exports from Turkey? How has this evolved over the past few years and where are you seeing the most growth these days?
Demir: Turkey is the largest producing and exporting country of sea bass in the world, and the second-largest producing country of sea bream. Currently, we are seeing increased demand for fresh products. However, the frozen product market is still growing, especially for supermarkets and retailers.
SeafoodSource: Increasingly, people want to know the story behind their food: What are some of the stories behind seafood from Turkey?
Demir: Sea bass and sea bream are fed for 12 to 16 months to reach market size. This is not an easy process and we do struggle with the weather conditions and live fish. However, we believe we are lucky because we have deep and clean seawater without any disease or parasite issues. Animal welfare is absolutely critical for us at the farming stage. We use an electrical stunning machine, which kills the fish between 10 to 15 seconds after leaving the sea water, so they don’t feel any pain. Our seafood is fully traceable and fully certified by legal authorities and third-party certification bodies. It is extremely healthy, packed full of protein, omega-3s and minerals, such as selenium and phosphorus.
SeafoodSource: How does participation in events such as the International Chefs Congress help further understanding of Turkey's seafood offerings?
Demir: The American seafood market is of great importance to the Turkish seafood sector. In addition to the ongoing consumption of seafood products in the U.S., there is a rising demand for Turkish sea bass and sea bream, which has been increasing every year. The fact that Turkish chefs are more involved in American TV programs and in various organizations also supports these positive developments.
SeafoodSource: What is the biggest challenge facing Turkey's seafood industry?
Demir: The shelf life for fresh fish is short (10-14 days) and the transport to the US, one of our most important markets, takes a long time. Consequently, we prefer to send goods in frozen form. Frozen fish has a two-year shelf life and the freezing process is done on the first day of harvest under the control of experienced food and aquaculture engineers. So the frozen fish is actually fresher than chilled fish.
SeafoodSource: Where do you see the greatest opportunities?
Demir: Increasingly, we’re seeing consumers across the globe adopting healthy diets. Fish is among the healthiest protein sources and, during production, every step can be controlled and monitored. Aquaculture is sustainable and traceability is important for consumers. Sea bass and sea bream are also among the most preferred Mediterranean species of fish, which is, of course, good news for Turkey.
SeafoodSource: Where is Turkey's seafood industry in terms of sustainability and traceability of its seafood?
Demir: We only use fish feed that is all sustainability certified. In addition, we undertake environmental tests to measure the effect on the seabed. We also have a good waste-recycling system in Turkey. As a part of our food safety systems, like HACCP, Global G.A.P, BRC, and IFS, we have full traceability from farm to fork. We can trace every cage and net. We give lot numbers to every single batch and we trace the fish according to this lot number during processing. We are also carrying out traceability tests with our customers every year.
SeafoodSource: What are three things people would be surprised to know about Turkey's seafood industry?
Demir: First, female employment is very high at the processing facilities. Second, we are very flexible in producing different types of cut and packaging. The cuts range from canoe, butterfly, boneless v-cut, to PBO. Packaging ranges from vacuum pack to bulk and to head rider. Third, you can consume our fish uncooked or cooked — it can be grilled, oven-cooked, or used as sushi or ceviche.
