This article was featured in Eurofish Magazine 4 2025.
Agromey, once a major Turkish aquaculture company, has emerged with renewed strength after being acquired by Kiliç Holding in 2024. According to Tolga Uruk, the sales director, the company struggled financially from 2016, culminating in court-ordered financial protection from 2018 until early 2023. During this period, the former owner attempted multiple times to sell the company without success. It was only at a Boston exhibition in March 2024 that an agreement was finalised with Kiliç, the world’s largest producer of sea bass and sea bream. The -acquisition has brought financial stability to Agromey. Under Kiliç, the company resumed full production and now operates as a subsidiary while retaining its brand identity. Currently, Agromey produces around 25,000 tonnes annually, with half of that being sea bream. Its main markets include Europe, the Middle East, Ukraine, and the United States.
Agromey’s recovery coincides with a challenging period in the aquaculture sector. There is a widespread shortage of sea bass, attributed to high mortality rates in hatcheries caused by a combination of poor water conditions, climate change, and difficulties sourcing key raw materials like fish meal and oil. Sea bass production takes around two years, making it slower to recover than sea bream, which matures in about a year. As a result, both species have seen significant price increases due to high demand and limited supply. Despite the merger, Agromey and Kiliç operate in distinct markets. Agromey specialises in processed and fresh fish, with a key facility in the Netherlands, while Kiliç handles larger-scale production. This separation avoids internal competition and enhances the strategic reach of the combined operations.
Mr Uruk believes that production -levels will remain stable in the short term, as expansion would require significant- -investment. Instead, the focus will be on maintaining profitability amid -global inflation and increasing demand for healthy seafood. For Agromey, the acquisition not only marked the end of a difficult chapter but also opened the door to a more secure and sustainable future.