According to Statistics Estonia, in 2023, aquaculture enterprises (fish and crayfish farms) sold 918 tonnes of commercial fish and crayfish, for a total of 5.7 million euros. The sale of fish roe for consumption amounted to nearly ten tonnes. The sold quantity of fish farming production increased after three years of decline. The amount of fish roe sold was 3.5 times higher than in 2022.
Last year, the quantity of commercial fish sold by fish farming enterprises rose by 118 tonnes compared with 2022. The average price per kilogram of farmed fish was over six euros. Sold quantities of fish have increased over the past year, while
the average price per kilogram has remained virtually unchanged.
Swen Peterson, leading analyst at Statistics Estonia, said that rainbow trout is still the most farmed and sold fish species in Estonia, and its share has grown in recent years. “In 2023, almost 785 tonnes of rainbow trout were sold, accounting for 87% of the total quantity of farmed fish sold. In monetary terms, this amounts to nearly 4.5 million euros,” noted Peterson.
0.49 tonnes of crayfish were placed on the market last year, which is 14% less than in 2022. However, the average price of crayfish sold increased by almost 30% year on year. Farmed crayfish sales are down for the fourth year in a row. The largest quantity of crayfish – close to two tonnes – was sold in 2009.
Last year, fish roe placed on the market amounted to ten tonnes. This is nearly 3.5 times more than the year before. However, the quantity of fish roe sold was two times lower than in 2021, similar to the amount sold in 2020. The value of sold fish roe was just over 350 000 euros in 2023, with the average price per kilogram almost unchanged from the previous year. Most of the fish roe sold for consumption was red fish roe.
In addition to rainbow trout and crayfish, there are other fish species farmed and sold in Estonia, such as tench, European eel, African sharptooth catfish, carp, wels catfish, sturgeon (Siberian and Russian sturgeon), grass carp, etc.