General Information
Within the scope of the TUBITAK Project No. 124N067, the first consultation with aquaculture production facilities was held with Yüceler Altun, the owner of Aral Trout Production Facility and Recreation Areas. The Aral Trout Production Facility and Recreation Areas are established on State Forest Land within the boundaries of Hamamlıkızık Neighborhood, Yıldırım District, Bursa Province. Constructed in 1996, the facility covers a total area of 45,256.68 m². Of this, 15,700.68 m² is leased from the National Real Estate Directorate and used as the trout production facility and restaurant section. The remaining 29,556.00 m² is leased from Yıldırım Municipality and utilized as a recreational area and parking lot. The ground floor of the building consists of the restaurant, kitchen, boiler room, and sanitary facilities. The upper floor is divided into two separate sections: 210 m² serves as the restaurant section, while 73 m² is used as residential space. The entrance view of the facility’s restaurant is shown in Figure 1.
Water Source
Within the facility, water is supplied from the Deliçay Spring. The spring’s capacity is 30 L/s. Additionally, a 2 km water pipeline has been constructed from the Küreklidere Waterfall to the facility. Both water sources are utilized for the trout production ponds and throughout the facility. The remaining 29,556 m² of the property is used as recreational areas. The facility’s officially permitted annual trout production capacity is 29 tons, while the current production is 50 tons. The incoming water flow rate to the facility ranges from a maximum of 60 L/s to a minimum of 40 L/s. Based on calculations, the water retention time is 14 hours at 60 L/s and 10 hours at 40 L/s. Figure 2 shows the inlet section of the Deliçay Spring water to the facility, and Figure 3 shows the pipeline bringing water from the Küreklidere Waterfall into the facility.
Production Stages and Equipment Used
The rainbow trout production process begins in the hatchery. Broodstock fish reaching a weight of 1 kg enter the spawning season, and between December and February, 3,000–4,000 eggs are stripped from female fish. After an incubation period of 45 days, fry are obtained. Due to the extremely cold water regime and system temperatures in recent years, Aral Trout Facilities have not been able to produce fry on-site. The hatchery phase of fish production is carried out at the suppliers’ facilities. Rainbow trout weighing approximately 100 g are purchased from suppliers and grown within the facility until they reach a portion size of 250 g.
On the northern side of the facility, within an area of 2,000 m², there are 6 fry ponds, 29 grow-out ponds, and 12 incubation ponds. The grow-out ponds have a surface area of 45 m² and a depth of 1 m. Figure 4 shows the fry ponds, Figure 5 the grow-out ponds, and Figure 6 the incubation ponds.
There is also a 25 m² area made of steel materials used as a hatchery and a 187 m² area designated for fish cleaning and wood storage. Figures 7a and 7b show the visuals of the hatchery area and the wood storage area, respectively.
Water Quality and Conducted Analyses
Rainbow trout production is carried out in the ponds within the facility. The characteristics of the spring water are highly suitable for the cultivation of rainbow trout. Seasonally, the water temperature varies by an average of 3 °C. The dissolved oxygen level of the water used is around 9.6–9.8 mg/L. Before the project approval, analyses of water quality parameters were conducted. In subsequent years, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry takes water samples two to three times a year for monitoring purposes and conducts analyses. Additionally, once a year, fish produced at the facility are sampled and analyzed at Ege University to ensure their suitability for human consumption. Since changes in water temperature and oxygen levels are minimal, no continuous water quality monitoring system is installed at the facility.
Facility Compliance with Regulations
Since the facility’s official production capacity is 29 tons per year, it is exempt from the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report requirement. According to the EIA Regulation, Annex-1 covers aquaculture projects with a production capacity of 1,000 tons per year or more, while Annex-2 covers aquaculture projects with a production capacity of 30 tons per year or more.
Chemical Use
During the production process at the facility, only veterinary-supervised medications are used for fish diseases. Apart from this, no other chemicals are utilized.
Suppliers
There are two different suppliers, one located in Bursa İznik and the other in Kütahya-Domaniç. The facility in Bursa İznik carries out fry production, while the facility in Kütahya-Domaniç raises the fry from 20 g to 100 g in weight. It has been emphasized that working with these suppliers is highly important for supporting and promoting local development.
Waste and Waste Management
At the entrance of the facility, there is a screen, and at the exit, there is a 225 m² sedimentation pond. Figure 8 shows the screen at the facility entrance, and Figure 9 presents the sedimentation pond. It is stated that only a small amount of sludge accumulates in the sedimentation pond. According to analysis results, the sludge has been classified as first-grade flower soil. After the spring water is used in the production facility, it is provided to garden owners as irrigation water. The main solid waste generated at the facility consists of kitchen waste, which is collected by the Municipality.
Cost Items
Payments are made for the leasing of the spring water and the land owned by the Ministry of Forestry. The annual water lease fee is 15,000 TL, and the land lease fee is 250,000 TL. The facility’s annual income is 275,000 TL. The profit per fish is 25 TL. The cost incurred for purchasing and transporting fish weighing 100 g from the suppliers is 0.25 TL per fish.
Challenges Encountered
During the interview, information was gathered about the difficulties experienced from the establishment of the facility to the present day. Mr. Yüceler shared the challenges they faced during the 2001 Gulf Crisis, including a fourfold increase in feed prices and a decrease in unit fish sales prices. He also explained that, in accordance with Forest Law No. 6831 (Türkiye), since only aquaculture production is permitted on land owned by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, a legal process was initiated regarding the facility’s operation as a commercial enterprise (restaurant). He emphasized that due to high expenses such as lease payments, sales through the restaurant are necessary to ensure the sustainability of the facility.
Innovation
It was reported that numerous innovative practices have been implemented at the facility from its establishment to the present day. The first of these emerged during the 2001 Gulf Crisis, when fish feed prices increased fourfold, leading to a search for more economical feed supply. At that time, by sourcing the raw materials used in fish feed more cost-effectively, feed production was carried out on-site using a fish feed production machine. The produced feed contained 65% fishmeal, 25% soybean meal, 5% wheat flour, 5% fish oil, along with vitamin and mineral additives. Today, feed production is no longer conducted within the facility; instead, ready-made feed is purchased externally.
Another innovative practice is the presence of hydroelectric power plants within the facility, which are still operational. These hydroelectric plants produce a total of 3 kW/hour of energy, which is used in the restaurant section of the facility. It is reported that the hydroelectric plants provide savings of at least 10,000 TL. However, due to the high electricity consumption of kitchen equipment such as dishwashers and freezer units in the restaurant section, grid electricity is also used. Apart from this, there is no use of equipment requiring significant energy consumption in the production area of the facility. Figure 10 shows the hydroelectric plant located at the entrance of the facility, and Figure 11 shows the hydroelectric plant located at the end of the facility.
Facility Employees
During the interview, information was gathered about the practices carried out by the facility in terms of social sustainability. In winter, the facility employs a total of 12 people, including 8 men and 4 women. In summer, temporary personnel are hired, bringing the total to 25 employees, of whom 6–7 are women. The staff work in various areas such as ponds, the kitchen, waitstaff, and cleaning sections. The production stage is handled by men, which is attributed to the physical demands of working under the site conditions. The facility operates on a double-shift basis. Employees are between the ages of 18 and 60. It was noted that personnel are satisfied with their workplace and perform their duties with a positive attitude. Additionally, it was stated that finding staff is not difficult.
Recommendations
Finally, as part of the “Sustainable Management of Aquaculture Production Systems” project, several key points were highlighted as topic suggestions for the training materials to be developed regarding the facility establishment phase. These include:
- Knowledge of relevant legislation.
- Obtaining information about the DSİ (State Hydraulic Works) water allocation certificate, since it is important to clarify whether the area is designated as a water allocation zone before establishing the facility.
- Considering the advantage of locating the facility near residential areas when deciding on its location.
- Being familiar with the major diseases that may occur during the production process.
Table 1 summarizes the information about the Aral Trout Facility. Figure 12 shows the map location of the Deliçay spring water, and Figure 13 presents the map view of the Aral Trout Facility and Küreklidere Waterfall.
Table 1. Summary Information About the Aral Trout Facility
| GENERAL | |
| Facility Area | Total Area: 45,256.68 m² — Ponds and Restaurant: 15,700.68 m² |
| Water Source | Deliçay Spring Water and Küreklidere Waterfall |
| Water Quality Characteristics | Water Temperature: 8–9 ºC on average (summer and winter); Oxygen Level: ~9 mg/L |
| Capacity | Determined based on the maximum water availability. The highest flow rate is observed in summer. Maximum capacity: 29 tons/year trout = 29,000 kg × 4 (250 g per fish) = 116,000 fish |
| REGULATORY SCOPE | |
| ÇED(EIA) | Exempt |
| Hydroelectric Plants | Exempt |
| ECONOMY | |
| Income | Annual income: approximately 2,750,000 TL |
| Expenses | Forest lease, water lease, utility bills, and procurement of 100 g fish from suppliers |
| Suppliers | Two suppliers — one located in Bursa İznik and one in Kütahya-Domaniç |
| SOCIAL | |
| Number of Employees | Winter: 12 total (8 men, 4 women); Summer: 25 total (6–7 women) |
| Age Distribution | 18-60 |
| Work Areas | Ponds, kitchen, waitstaff, and cleaning sections |
| Work Arrangement | Two-shift system. |
| ENVIRONMENT | |
| Energy Use Areas: | Restaurant |
| Energy Produced | A total of 3 kW/hour of energy is produced by the hydroelectric plants and used in the restaurant section of the facility |
| Generated Waste | Small amount of sludge from the sedimentation pond and kitchen waste |
| INNOVATION | |
| Implemented Practices | Hydroelectric Plants, Fish Feed Production Machine |
