The production of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is developing and it is most cultured finfish species in Turkey. It was first introduced in Turkey in the mid 1970s from Italy. In the following years, culture studies of native trout strains, mainly Black Sea trout; Salmo trutta labrax and Abant Lake trout, Salmo trutta abanticus started in late 1990. Market size trout production was performed in two main categories, inland areas (mainly concrete ponds by flow through fresh water and cages) and in sea (offshore cages). Total trout production was 61.173 tons in 2007.

The aim of the research is to elaborate the competitiveness assessment system for fisheries sector cluster, using which it could be possible to assess the competitiveness of fisheries sector cluster in time and space. On the basis of scientific literature study, the authors provide solutions of how to assess the competitiveness of the fisheries sector cluster. As a result of analysis, it was discovered that the best way to assess the competitiveness of the fisheries sector cluster is by using a comprehensive complex indicator – the Index of the Fisheries Sector Cluster Competitiveness. The created Index of the Fisheries Sector Cluster Competitiveness helps the institutions involved in the creation of fisheries policy more successfully elaborate and improve the common policy of fisheries.

The aim of this study was to investigate the patterns of antibiotic resistance of Aeromonas spp. bacteria isolated from the sea trout (Salmo trutta) from the state fish hatcheries of the Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment ‘BIOR’, Latvia. Bacteriological investigations were performed at four state fish hatcheries located in the drainage basins of the main Latvian rivers – Daugava, Venta and Gauja, during the five-year period (2012 – 2016). In fish with visible clinical signs, bacteriological samples were collected from heart, liver, spleen, kidney and ulcer surfaces. Aeromonas hydrophila and Aeromonas salmonicida were isolated from sea trouts. A total of 52 individual sea trouts were examined. Resistance to amoxicillin, ampicillin, cephalexin, colistin, doxycycline, enrofloxacin, erythromycin, florfenicol, gentamycin, kanamycin, lincomycin, neomycin, oxytetracycline, spectinomycin, streptomycin, tetracycline, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole was tested. The results of this study suggest a multi-drug resistance pattern among the A. hydrophila isolates. All the isolates were resistant to amoxicillin (100%), ampicillin (100%), cephalexin (100%) and erythromycin (100%). The lowest level of resistance was found against florfenicol (4.55%), gentamycin (4.55%), kanamycin (4.55%), but susceptibility was recorded to enrofloxacin, neomycin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. A. salmonicida isolates were resistant to oxytetracycline (9.38%) and tetracycline (9.38%). For other antibiotics A. salmonicida isolates were susceptible.

Turkey has rich inland water sources, about 200 natural lakes, about 750 artificial lakes or ponds, about 193 reservoirs, 33 rivers and streams of 177,714 km length and 8333 km of coastal strips. Some lagoons covering of 70,000 ha in Aegean and Mediterranean coastal strips are very suitable for aquaculture. The main fish species cultured in Turkey are carp (Cyprinus carpio), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata), European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), Blackl sea turbot (Pselta maxima), Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and shrimp (Penaeidae spp). Aquaculture production of Turkey has grown steadily over the years from 5,782 t in 1990 to 63,000 t in 1999 and to 79,031 t in 2000. There are 1309 farms in inland water producing approximately 32,466 t of fresh water fish species and 352 farms at sea producing 40,119 t of sea fish species, mainly Gilthead sea bream and European sea bass.

The South-Esatern Anatolia Project (GAP) is a multi-sector and integrated regional development project in Turkey. The project area covers 9 administrative provinces - Adiyaman, Batman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Kilis, Mardin, Siirt, Sanliurfa, and Simak - in the basins of the Euphrates and Tigris. The GAP planned in the 1970s consists of projects for irrigation and hydraulic energy production on the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. The development program encompasses such sectors as irrigation, hydraulic energy, agriculture, fish farming, rural and urban infrastructure, forestry, education, and health. This project envisages the construction of 22 dams and 19 hydraulic power plants and irrigation of 1.7 million hectares of land. The total cost of the project is estimated as US $ 32 billion. The construction of several dams will cause an increase in total capacity of more than 600 000 tons of fish in the region. Aquaculture will be an important source of income for the people and the economy of the country, a sum of US $ 1.8 billion of income will be obtained each year.