First seafood receives geographical indication

SİNOP

A traditional Turkish seafood dish called “Sinop lakerda,” which reflects thousands of years of marine and fishing culture of the northern province of Sinop, has become the first seafood product ever to receive a geographical indication.

“Sinop lakerda” is a pickled dish prepared by slicing toric or large bonito fish, native to the Black Sea region.

The product was registered as the 11th geographically marked product in Sinop and went down in history as the first seafood that received geographical indication.

The Sinop Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TSO) applied to the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office to add “Sinop lakerda” as a geographical indication and the dish is expected to enter the shelves of big markets in the upcoming days.

Sinop TSO President Salim Akbaş, who noted that every country has taken different initiatives to protect local products with global effects recently, said they are proud to add lakerda to the 11 geographically marked products that have been received so far in the city.

Stating that it has been two years since they made the application, Akbaş said that since seafood is an edible product, its examinations and laboratory studies took a little longer than other products.

Akbaş emphasized that they will carry out studies to sell the product in national markets.

“Recently, as the interest in geographical indications has increased, we have registered Sinop lakerda with the belief that we have to protect these values. In the coming days, we will hold a workshop with experts, and after this workshop, we will go through a certain process regarding the placement of these products on national market shelves,” Akbaş said.