Ankara, Turkey — Somalia signed a sweeping cooperation agreement with Turkish industrial group OYAK on Tuesday, launching a multi-year push to modernize the country’s fisheries and blue economy while tightening maritime security and creating jobs along its coastline.
The pact, finalized by Somali Minister of Fisheries and Blue Economy Ahmed Hassan Adan in Ankara, formally establishes the Cooperation and Marine Production Development Partnership. The initiative is structured to protect Somalia’s marine environment and unlock greater economic value from the fisheries sector through direct investment and sustainable development.
- Advertisement -
Somali officials said the partnership will prioritize blue economy infrastructure, domestic processing and training so Somali products can meet global benchmarks and reach international markets. The effort is designed to reduce raw exports, increase value-added production at home and strengthen livelihoods in coastal communities.
- Direct investment in blue economy infrastructure.
- Programs to raise fish production to international standards.
- Establishment of domestic fish processing industries.
- Technical training to build capacity among Somali fishermen.
- Maritime security measures to combat illegal fishing.
- Job creation with an emphasis on youth and coastal areas.
“This initiative is expected to modernize the fisheries sector and integrate Somali products into the global supply chain,” Minister Ahmed said at the signing ceremony.
The event was witnessed by Somalia’s Minister of Ports and Marine Transport, Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, and the Director General of the Ministry of Fisheries, Abdi Dirshe. Senior representatives from Turkey’s Ministries of Defense, Agriculture and Forestry, and Foreign Affairs, along with OYAK executives, also attended and described the partnership as strategically important for both countries.
Maritime security is a core pillar of the agreement, which includes provisions to deter and combat illegal fishing. Somali officials say those measures are essential to safeguarding marine resources and ensuring that legitimate operators, including small-scale fishers, can benefit from an orderly and sustainable market.
Beyond security, the deal aims to generate thousands of jobs through new processing facilities, logistics, training and ancillary services. Government officials said the investment will be targeted to maximize opportunities for young people and coastal communities that have historically been underserved by formal employment.
Minister Ahmed praised the government of Turkey and OYAK for their confidence in Somalia’s improving security and investment climate, calling the agreement a signal of growing international trust in Somalia’s recovery and economic potential.
Turkish officials and OYAK leaders welcomed the collaboration, saying it strengthens long-standing ties between the two countries and aligns with shared priorities of sustainable economic development and job creation. They cast the project as a platform to build industrial capacity in Somalia while promoting responsible use of marine resources.
With the partnership now in force, Somali authorities and OYAK are expected to move quickly on implementation planning, including investment sequencing, facility siting and timelines for training programs. Officials emphasized that environmental safeguards and standards compliance will frame each stage of the rollout, aiming to ensure the fisheries sector grows in a way that is both commercially viable and ecologically sound.
The agreement marks one of the most comprehensive recent moves to restructure Somalia’s fisheries value chain—from catch and handling to processing and export—while embedding maritime security and sustainability into the sector’s expansion.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
