Özet:

Increasing attempts have been directed to understand the negative impacts of COVID-19 on different components of human life across the World. Fisheries and aquaculture sectors which are important sectors with high potential for export in the Turkish economy were immediately hit by the crisis. In this study, therefore, the early impacts of the COVID-19 on the export of aquatic products of Turkey were evaluated by using export data on quantity (kg) and customs value (USD) of the aquatic products belong to the first quarter period of 2019 and 2020. Fisher quantity index and price index showed that the mean values of exported products in both quantity and customs were decreased by 3.79% and 4.22% from 2019 to 2020, respectively. Drill-down analysis of export statistics showed that fresh Sea bass, Sea bream, Bluefin tuna, Carp were main exported products and Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Russia, Greece, and Japan were main exported countries that determined the way and strength of the Turkish export on aquatic products. Their exports from 2019 to 2020 were changed as -7.89% (in quantity) and -7.43% (in customs value-USD). Frozen sea cucumber exported to China, Hong Kong, and the USA was decreased by 56.07%, 24%, and 5.5%, respectively. The export of frozen or fresh crab, shrimp, lobster, frozen fillet (trout, sea bream and sea bass) and live fish (sea bream and sea bass) were also decreased by 31.08% and 48.55%, respectively. In contrast to the general decrease, the quantity of fresh, live, and frozen snails, mussels, octopus, squid and cuttlefish exported to South Korea, Greece, and China was increased by 58.59%. Also, the export of dried, salted, or pickled and smoked fish (7.24% in quantity), canned aquatic products (26.63% in quantity) and frozen sea bass, sea bream, and tuna fish (7.56% in quantity) were increased. In conclusion, it was clearly identified that, in general, the products exported as mostly canned, frozen, and smoked fish have experienced an increase in demand. However, these increases have not been compensated for the decreases in demand for other products, yet. In that chaotic situation, therefore, the Turkish government should immediately fund the fisheries and aquaculture sectors. In the context of risk management, the government also should make new arrangements and promotions for processing industries (enhancing the capacity both in volume and in product variety) to protect and improve fishing and aquaculture sectors in the mid and long term.

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