News Aquaponics
Turkish wholesaler to build aquaponics with seabass and salicornia

Metro Türkiye has started a new initiative that combines aquaculture with plant cultivation to produce sea bass and salicornia in the same closed system through aquaponics.

This system is said to have reduced the growth period for sea bass from 14-15 months to nine months. It also uses a Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) which provides control over water quality, temperature, and disease management. 

Metro Türkiye partnered with Esbjerg, Denmark-based Alpha Aqua AS and its Turkish partner, Nordic, for the design and supply of a new, state-of-the-art facility utilizing a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) in Muğla, Turkey.

“RAS technology, now in a more mature state after decades of development and implementation, offers high production efficiency through high fish welfare levels, precise water quality control, automated feeding based on fish appetite, and waste management. It outperforms traditional aquaculture methods in resource utilization and sustainability and is necessary for future sustainability and healthy protein production while preserving the environment,” said Yasin Kasa, the chief commercial officer of Alpha Aqua and Nordic founding partner.

Deniz Alkaç, a board member at Metro Türkiye Cash and Carry, stated that they have implemented initiatives and projects focusing on sustainable aquaculture to ensure people can enjoy a rich variety of seafood. He said fish in the seas and those grown in farms must be handled with a sustainable approach.

Deniz Alkaç, board member at Metro Türkiye Cash and Carry. (Photo: Alpha Aqua A/S)

“As Metro Türkiye, we see fish as a resource that should be left for future generations rather than worrying about it primarily being a commercial product. We have kept sustainable aquaculture at the centre of our purchasing policy since 2010 to protect marine fish stocks and species,” Alkaç said.

The plants are grown with nutrient-rich water from fish tanks which creates a mutually beneficial relationship between fish and plants, resulting in a closed-loop ecosystem. 

“As the pioneer of sustainable aquaculture in Türkiye, we have started to produce sea bass and salicornia with this system. In the facility built in Muğla, we use feed consisting of algae oil and reduced sea fish content in the production of sea bass. With this special feed, we contribute to healthy nutrition by producing fish richer in Omega-3,” Alkaç added.

The company plans to have the first fish harvest within nine months and have its products on the shelves through its Metro Premium brand in the first months of next year.