H.E. İbrahim Yumaklı, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of Türkiye, inaugurated today the new Marmara Fisheries Control Center - the largest facility of its kind in the Mediterranean and Black Sea - alongside Miguel Bernal, Executive Secretary of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM).

The inauguration marks a significant milestone in Türkiye’s efforts to strengthen its monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) capacity, and constitutes a concrete advancement in fisheries management. It also underscores the country’s commitment to transparent, data-driven fisheries governance in alignment with international standards.

A milestone for the Black Sea region

Given that Türkiye operates the largest fishing fleet and accounts for the highest capture production in the GFCM area, its role in shaping fisheries management in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea region is central. Strengthening its MCS capacity is therefore both a national priority and a critical contribution to regional sustainability and compliance, including in the collective fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The Center will be further strengthened through the integration of advanced vessel monitoring system (VMS) technologies acquired under the FishEBM Black Sea and FishEBM Mediterranean projects, implemented in cooperation with the GFCM and supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), which will enable the deployment of VMS transponders on 858 vessels, nearly all of Türkiye’s industrial fishing fleet.

These transponders will enable real-time tracking of vessels by Turkish authorities, transmitting key operational data, including vessel position, speed and heading, to the newly inaugurated Marmara Fisheries Control Center. They will also generate alerts when vessels operate in fisheries restricted areas or engage in activities where fishing is prohibited. The upgraded system will replace ageing VMS devices and is expected to integrate seamlessly with Türkiye’s national monitoring system (BAGIS), including electronic logbooks and catch documentation systems.

H.E. İbrahim Yumaklı, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of the Republic of Türkiye, stated: “With the establishment of the Marmara Fisheries Control Center, Türkiye is translating its commitment to strengthening fisheries monitoring capacity into concrete and measurable action. The upgraded vessel monitoring system will further reinforce Türkiye’s leading role in the fight against IUU fishing, while enhancing transparency and effectiveness in fisheries control and enforcement.”

Reinforcing commitment to combat IUU fishing

The inauguration reflects Türkiye’s sustained commitment to combatting IUU fishing and advancing sustainable fisheries management. With the support of the FishEBM projects, Türkiye is progressing towards the development of a National Plan of Action to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing (NPOA-IUU), in line with the GFCM Regional Plan of Action (RPOA-IUU) adopted in 2017. The projects have been providing technical guidance throughout the process, in close coordination with national authorities, ensuring alignment with regional standards and international best practices.

This progress is already yielding tangible results. According to The State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries 2025, and thanks to the efforts of Black Sea countries involved in this fishery, fishing pressure on turbot in the Black Sea has declined by 73 percent since 2013, one of the most substantial reductions recorded in the region. Fishing mortality for the species has fallen below levels associated with maximum sustainable yield and biomass is projected to reach sustainable levels in the coming years, securing the sustainability of this important fishery. Sustainable, ecosystem-based management requires effective enforcement.

”This new Fisheries Control Center sends a powerful signal of Türkiye’s commitment towards sustainable fisheries, including through enhanced monitoring control and surveillance capacities — setting the standard for the region as a whole”, said Miguel Bernal, GFCM Executive Secretary. “The deployment of the new VMS system, thanks to the FishEBM projects, will further support Türkiye as it develops concrete responses to IUU fishing”.