Abstract In this study, the publications on cetacean (bottlenose dolphin, common dolphin and harbour porpoise) fisheries in the Turkish Seas are reviewed. The cetacean fishery began in ancient time in Anatolia and continued for over 2300 years, until 1983 when the fishery was banned in Turkey. In the 20th century it was increased, especially in the 1950’s and 1970’s, on the eastern Turkish Black Sea coast because of the Meat and Fish Institution (EBK) Fish Meal and Oil Factory established in Trabzon in 1952 and modernized in 1962. The produced oil was used domestically as well as exported. Presently, all cetaceans are under the legal protection in the Turkish waters.