Agriculture, Analytics, Estonia, Markets and Companies

In the last five years, there has been an increase in the volume of aquaculture production sold. Compared to the slump of 2011, the production of aquaculture increased two times in 2015. While in 2014 the volume of aquaculture production sold was at a 20-year high (865 tonnes), the production of 2015 ranked second in terms of volume.

Rainbow trout accounts for the biggest share in the production of aquaculture sold. In 2015, 558 tonnes of rainbow trout was sold, with a total value of 2 million euros. Nevertheless, the share of rainbow trout in aquaculture production has decreased due to several new species having been introduced in fish farms: in the last five years, from 85% to 70%, respectively. The decline in the share of rainbow trout has been influenced by an increase in the sales volumes of promising species like the Arctic char, the African sharptooth catfish, sturgeons (the Siberian and Russian sturgeon) and the wels catfish, but also the European eel and common carp, which have been farmed in Estonia for a long time already. The sale of carps like the grass carp and silver carp has also increased.

In 2015, the European crayfish was sold in the amount of 0.6 tonnes, which is 2.6 times more than in 2014. The monetary value of production sold, however, has not increased at the same rate: the value was 1.6 times higher in 2015 than in 2014.

The amount of caviar sold in 2015 totalled 7.3 tonnes, which is 2.4 times more than in 2014. The value of production almost doubled as well: last year, the value of caviar sold totalled 197,000 euros last year, while in 2014 it was 93,000 euros.

In 2015, 7% of the total production of commercial fish was exported – 8%age points less than in 2014. The European eel and (to a lesser extent) sturgeons were the main species exported.

Statistics Estonia collects aquaculture data by surveying all enterprises with the principal or secondary activity of aquaculture. The frame of the surveyed enterprises is compiled based on the register of enterprises recognised by the Estonian Fish Farmers Association and the Veterinary and Food Board, and on the data of the Statistical Profile.