Economical analysis of sea bream-sea bass aquaculture farms in earthen ponds: Muğla province Milas district case

In this study, sea bream and sea bass farms with a regionally unique culture system employing earthen pond in Milas district, Muğla, which is the leader of marine aquaculture production in Turkey, were evaluated in terms of structural and economic aspects. Forty one out of active farms were chosen and interviews and questionaries with farmers were made face to face. Relative evaluations of the farms divided into groups in relation to active production volumes were relatively done according to structural and economical features. Results of economic evaluation of farms based on production season of 2008-2009 years variable and fixed costs were 90.49 % and 9.51 % respectively of the total production costs. The largest variable cost is feeding cost with 51.28%, followed by labor, fry and electricity costs in descending order. Average unit production cost is 8,06 TL per kg. Net profits of the farms following the subsidies on gross value of production were found as 4.312, 36.232 and 85.514 TL for small, medium and large size farms respectively. Results of the cost analysis indicated that as long as fish price remains the same, continuation of the activity is rather difficult without the subsidies. To make a sustainable production without the subsidies, it is required to attach importance to strategies which take precautions for cost minimization, resolve the lack of deficiencies of producer organizations and remedy the unstable fish prices.