In fish farming, output decreased but the prices increased

Last year, the quantity of commercial fish sold by fish farming enterprises fell by 50 tonnes compared with 2021. At the same time, the average price per kilogram of farmed fish rose from 5 euros in 2021 to 6 euros in 2022. Over the last three years, sold quantities of fish have fallen while the price per kilogram of fish sold has nearly doubled.

Swen Peterson, leading analyst at Statistics Estonia, said that rainbow trout is still the most farmed and sold fish species in Estonia. “In 2022, almost 678 tonnes of rainbow trout was sold for a total of 3.9 million euros. Rainbow trout represented 85% of the total quantity of fish sold,” added Peterson.

0.6 tonnes of crayfish was placed on the market, which is a fifth less than in 2021. The largest quantity of crayfish – 2 tonnes – was sold in 2009.

2.7 tonnes of fish roe was placed on the market in 2022. This is about 8 times less than in 2021. The quantity of fish roe sold last year is the smallest of the last 10 years. The value of sold fish roe was slightly over 100,000 euros, whereas the average sales price grew by half year on year. Most of the fish roe sold for consumption was red fish roe.

In Estonia, the primary method of fish farming is freshwater aquaculture, although in recent years some enterprises have also specialised in marine aquaculture. Rainbow trout is farmed in seawater. The species cultivated in freshwater fish farms include rainbow trout and crayfish as well as other species, such as tench, European eel, African sharptooth catfish, wels catfish, sturgeon (Siberian and Russian sturgeon), carp, grass carp, etc.

See also the fishing section on our website.

More detailed data have been published in the statistical database.

For further information:

Helen Maria Raadik
Media Relations Manager
Marketing and Dissemination Department
Statistics Estonia
Tel +372 625 9181
press [at] stat.ee

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