Last year, a record amount of aquaculture production was sold

In 2017, a record quantity of commercial fish and crayfish was sold. The quantity was only slightly smaller in 2014, when 869 tonnes was sold. The production of commercial fish and crayfish has remained at such a level for the last five years – the volume of aquaculture production sold in 2013 was 733 tonnes, whereas in 2017, the total quantity sold was 6% higher.

Rainbow trout has been cultivated and sold the most in Estonia throughout the years. The share of rainbow trout has increased year by year. In 2013, rainbow trout accounted for 63% of the total quantity of commercial fish and crayfish sold; in 2017, the share was 81%. In 2017, the quantity of rainbow trout sold was 702 tonnes, with a total value of slightly over 2.6 million euros – this was also the highest quantity sold throughout the years.

The European crayfish was sold in the amount of 0.8 tonnes, the production volume has increased 1.2 times compared to 2016. The monetary value of the European crayfish production increased approximately 1.1 times compared to 2016.

In addition to rainbow trout and the European crayfish, other fish species are farmed and sold – the Arctic char, the European eel, the African sharptooth catfish, common carp, wels catfish, sturgeons (the Siberian and Russian sturgeon) and grass carp.

The amount of fish roe for consumption sold in 2017 totalled 3.8 tonnes, which is approximately 1.1 tonnes less than in 2016. The monetary value of sold production decreased 1.1 times. In 2017, the value of sold fish roe for consumption totalled slightly over 115,000 euros, while in 2016, it was 127,800 euros.

In 2017, of the total production of commercial fish and grayfish, 5% was exported, which is 4 percentage points less than in 2016. Mainly the European eel and to a lesser extent the rainbow trout and the European crayfish were exported.

Statistics Estonia collects aquaculture data by surveying all enterprises with the principal or secondary activity of aquaculture. The frame of the surveyed enterprises has been 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 the statistical activity “Aquaculture”, the main representative of public interest is the Ministry of Rural Affairs, commissioned by whom Statistics Estonia collects and analyses the data necessary for conducting the statistical activity.