Greece does not only export its own fish. It also acts as an intermediary for thousands of tonnes of Turkish seabream and sea bass, which enter the country, are cleared through customs and are then re-exported, mainly to other European Union markets.
This trade route highlights Greece’s dual role: on the one hand, as a leading European producer of Mediterranean fish; on the other, as a gateway for the distribution of products from its main competitor. The practice is not new. Euro2day.gr had already exposed Greece’s role years ago as an intermediary hub for channelling Turkish fish into European markets. New figures from the Hellenic Aquaculture Producers Organization (HAPO) show that this trade route remains in operation.
According to HAPO’s 2026 Annual Aquaculture Report, Greece imported 18,798 tonnes of fresh fish of Turkish origin in 2025, including 11,877 tonnes of seabream and 6,921 tonnes of sea bass. These volumes were cleared through customs in Greece and almost entirely re-exported, mainly to other EU member states. The trade was down 3.2% from 2024, but remained significant.
According to the report, the fish are re-exported as products of Turkish origin. The figures do not substantiate any change in the declared country of origin or any illegal “Greek-washing”.
The significance of this route becomes clearer when Turkey’s overall presence in the European market is considered.
Last year, Turkish exports of seabream and sea bass to the EU reached 59,124 tonnes, excluding fillets. Of these, 39,017 tonnes were seabream and 20,107 tonnes sea bass. According to HAPO, Turkey accounts for nearly 98% of the EU’s imports of seabream and sea bass from third countries. It is therefore the dominant non-EU supplier of these two species to the European market. Greece thus faces competition that extends beyond production to distribution networks, commercial partnerships and access to major Western European markets.
Despite competitive pressure, Greek fish farming improved its export performance in 2025. Exports of Greek seabream and sea bass reached 97,384 tonnes, worth about €672 million, up 4% in volume and 15% in value from 2024. Total production of the two species stood at 119,000 tonnes, worth €820 million. Greece remains the largest producer in the European Union and the second-largest worldwide of seabream and sea bass.