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No. 56, 19.05.2016
The volume of aquaculture production sold fell last year
According to Statistics Estonia, in 2015, the total amount of commercial fish and crayfish
sold by aquaculture enterprises was 795 tonnes, with a total value of 3.3 million euros.
Compared to 2014, the amount of fish and crayfish production sold has decreased 8%
and the monetary value of production – 3%.
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 percentage 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.
For further information:
Evelin Enno
Leading Statistician
Economic and Environmental Statistics Department
Statistics Estonia
Tel +372 625 9308
More detailed data have been published in the Statistical
Database.