Sales of crayfish and fish roe grew the most last year

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Posted on 25 May 2021, 9:00

According to Statistics Estonia, in 2020, fish farming enterprises sold 1,039 tonnes of commercial fish and crayfish, for a total of more than 4 million euros. The biggest increase occurred for fish roe placed on the market, with record sales registered.

In 2020 compared to 2019, the volume of fish and crayfish sold by fish farming enterprises fell by 30 tonnes. The average price per kilogramme of farmed fish rose from 3.5 euros to 3.8 euros. The sold volumes of fish and crayfish farming have overall gone up in recent years.

According to Swen Peterson, analyst at Statistics Estonia, rainbow trout continues to be the most farmed and sold fish species in Estonia, and its share increases every year. “Last year, 870 tonnes of rainbow trout was sold, for a total of nearly 3 million euros, and it accounted for almost 85% of sold fish farming production,” said Peterson.

Nearly 1.1 tonnes of crayfish was placed on the market, which is 17% more than in 2019. The largest quantity of crayfish was sold in 2009: nearly 2 tonnes.

In addition to rainbow trout and crayfish, other fish species are farmed and sold in Estonia: tench, European eel, African sharptooth catfish, carp, wels catfish, sturgeons (Siberian and Russian sturgeon), grass carp, etc.

Fish roe placed on the market amounted to 10.5 tonnes, i.e. approximately two-thirds more than the previous year. The value of sold fish roe was slightly more than 290,000 euros, representing the largest volume ever sold.

Sold quantities of rainbow trout and other fish, 2000–2020


See also the fishing section on our website.

More detailed data have been published in the statistical database.

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