Aquaculture is the cultivation of fish, shellfish, crustaceans, and aquatic plants (e.g., algae) using technologies designed to produce yields greater than what natural environmental conditions would allow. It is one of the fastest-growing food sectors in the world and already provides half of all fish consumed globally.
Aquaculture in Europe
In Europe, approximately 20% of fish production comes from aquaculture. The sector employs about 65,000 people. Aquaculture in the European Union is known for its high product standards and sustainable production methods.
However, advances in quality have not translated into an increase in production volume. While global aquaculture output has grown by a third since the year 2000, the EU’s production has remained relatively stable. A closer look reveals that different subsectors of aquaculture are developing in almost opposite directions. For instance, marine fish farming continues to grow, while the farming of mollusks and freshwater fish has been in noticeable decline in recent years.
(Source: European Commission > Fisheries)
More information about different aquaculture methods can be found on the European Commission’s fisheries website.
Conferences and Trade Fairs
You can find information about global aquaculture conferences and trade fairs here.
Aquaculture in Estonia
During the dissolution of the USSR, Estonia produced about 1,650 tonnes of fish, including 917 tonnes of carp and 734 tonnes of rainbow trout. In recent years, production has remained between 800 and 900 tonnes. The main species farmed in Estonia are rainbow trout, carp, eel, African catfish, and various sturgeon species.
Between 2000 and 2002, the first farms began cultivating noble crayfish, which until then had only been caught in the wild.
Estonia has several industry organizations:
-
Estonian Aquaculture Association
Aquaculture in Estonia
In 2023, there were 47 active aquaculture farms registered as aquaculture producers with the Agricultural and Food Board. Of these, 28 were raising fish and 19 were farming crayfish.
A list of aquaculture production companies recognized and licensed by the Agricultural and Food Board can be found here.
A flyer completed in 2019 with contact information for the major fish farming companies can be found here.
Information about Estonian aquaculture can be found in the relevant chapters of yearbooks, but the topic is covered in more detail in several other publications:
-
In 2025, the second revised and expanded edition of the book "Estonian-English Explanatory Dictionary of Aquaculture" was published.
-
In 2025, the second revised and expanded edition of the handbook "Practical Fish Farming" was published.
-
In 2023, the book "Reproduction and Rearing of European Catfish (Silurus glanis) in a Recirculating Aquaculture System" was published through a collaboration between the Estonian University of Life Sciences and the Fisheries Information Centre of the Estonian Marine Institute at the University of Tartu.
-
In 2020, the book "Practical Fish Farming", by Priit Päk and Tiit Paaver in cooperation with the Fisheries Information Centre, was published.
-
In 2018, a translated book titled "Feed and Feeding Practices in Aquaculture" (original by D. Allan Davis, Elsevier 2015) was published.
-
In 2017, a translated book titled "Healthy Fish. Disease Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment" (original by Riitta Rahkonen et al., 2012) was published through the collaboration of Ene Saadre and the Fisheries Information Centre.
-
In 2017, the first edition of the "Estonian-English Explanatory Dictionary of Aquaculture", compiled by Tiit Paaver and the Fisheries Information Centre, was published.
-
In 2015, the book "Fish Farming. Promising Species" was published in collaboration between the Estonian University of Life Sciences and the Fisheries Information Centre.
-
In 2014, two FAO guidelines from 2012 were translated: "Small-scale Artificial Reproduction of Trout" and "Methods for Small-scale Trout Processing".
-
In 2013, the "Fish Health Handbook" was published in collaboration with the Estonian University of Life Sciences and the Fisheries Information Centre.
-
In 2012, the handbook "Guide to Recirculation Aquaculture" was published in cooperation with the Estonian University of Life Sciences and the Fisheries Information Centre (original: Jacob Bregnballe, 2010). The handbook introduces recirculation water technology and management methods, describes system design and wastewater treatment, and offers recommendations for transitioning to recirculating aquaculture, along with project examples.
-
In 2005, the publication "For the Aquaculturist" was released, discussing Estonian aquaculture, its prospects, and development with the help of EU funding. Chapter 11 of the 2009 OECD report also provides a good overview of Estonia's aquaculture trends.
Production Sectors
Sector Overview
In 2023, there were 47 active aquaculture farms registered as producers with the Agricultural and Food Board in Estonia, of which 28 raised fish and 19 farmed crayfish. In 2022, the production volume of market fish and crayfish was 800.8 tons; in 2023, production increased by approximately 118 tons, reaching 918.5 tons.
There were no changes in the species cultivated in either year. Rainbow trout remained the most commonly farmed species, accounting for 85% of the total volume both years. Other species farmed in larger quantities included eel, carp, sturgeon species, and African catfish.
In recent years, the volume of fish farming in sea cages has not increased. Estonia’s only marine fish farm operates at its maximum licensed production capacity. No new marine fish farms have been established. However, in 2023, the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority approved an environmental impact assessment report for a planned offshore fish farm at the mouth of Tagalaht Bay. According to the report, rainbow trout is planned to be farmed in cages with an estimated annual growth of 2,050–2,182 tons. Interest in establishing new offshore farms remains high, but due to the time-consuming nature of the required environmental impact assessments, no additional permits have yet been issued.
To support the sector, the Fisheries Information Centre commissioned the following studies:
-
“Modeling of Nutrient Flows Related to Commercial Fishing and Fish Farming in the Baltic Sea and Validation of the Model Based on the Tagalaht Fish Farm”
-
“Value-Adding of Cultivated Mussels in Baltic Sea Conditions”
In addition, in 2022, the Fisheries Information Centre conducted a study to assess the potential production volume of 800–900 g rainbow trout in Estonian fish farms, assuming they were producing stocking material for marine farms. The study estimated that the total potential production of suitable rainbow trout could range between 860 and 1,200 tons.
Several studies funded by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund's "Aquaculture Innovation Support" measure were completed in 2022:
-
At the Estonian University of Life Sciences: “Development of Artificial Reproduction and Farming Technologies for European Catfish (Silurus glanis) as a Promising New Aquaculture Species, and Identification of the Best Breeding Lines”
-
At the University of Tartu: “Development of Aquaculture Solutions for Carp Across the Entire Value Chain”
There are two main industry organizations in the aquaculture sector:
-
Estonian Association of Fish and Crayfish Farmers
-
Estonian Aquaculture Association
Additionally, the Estonian Offshore Aquaculture Cooperative operates as a producer organization uniting eight fish farming companies. Its goals are to increase marine fish farming volumes, improve marketing conditions for its members’ products, and promote sustainable aquaculture.
Rainbow Trout Farming
Rainbow trout was the most commonly farmed fish species in 2023, with a production volume of 784.8 tons—an increase of 107.3 tons from 2022. Over the past eight years, production has remained between 700 and 900 tons.
As a red-fleshed fish, the price of rainbow trout is influenced by global salmon prices. In 2023, the average global salmon price was €8.26/kg according to the Fish Pool Index of Nasdaq OMX Oslo. Although prices have remained stable over the past two years, they are significantly higher than the €5.74/kg seen three years ago. The high price of salmon supports the cultivation and marketing of domestically farmed rainbow trout.
Among other salmonids, Arctic char is also farmed in Estonia, with small-scale trials involving Atlantic salmon and brook trout.
Crayfish Farming
In 2023, there were 19 crayfish farms operating under license from the Agricultural and Food Board. A total of 0.5 tons of noble crayfish were farmed. In recent years, production has been declining, and six crayfish farms have ceased operations.
Seaweed and Mussel Farming
Estonia’s only mussel farm is located in Tagalaht Bay, on Saaremaa, near aquaculture cages. Mussel farming serves as a compensatory measure to enhance the sustainability of cage farming, as mussels absorb nutrients.
Research into various seaweed and mussel species continues, with the aim of identifying species suitable for cultivation and finding ways to add value and market their products.
Restocking Natural Fish Stocks
In 2022, Estonia restocked its waters with salmon, European eel, Atlantic sturgeon, sea whitefish, and Peipsi whitefish. In 2023, the restocking list expanded to include zander, pike, perch, asp, tench, and noble crayfish.
The largest number of salmon was released into the Pärnu River: 180,597 in 2022 and 255,180 in 2023. In 2022, 599 kg of eel were released into both inland waters and bays near Saaremaa and Hiiumaa. In 2023, 357 kg of eel were released into Lake Võrtsjärv. To experimentally combat the invasive signal crayfish, the Estonian University of Life Sciences released 1,200 eels weighing 264 g each into Ropka Lake and Reo Quarry.
The restoration of Atlantic sturgeon populations continues, with 60 sturgeons released into the Pärnu River for the first time in 2023, in addition to the ongoing restocking in the Narva River. In other water bodies, 5,500 noble crayfish were relocated from Lake Pangodi and the Kärla River.
Research and Development
Two institutions provide formal education in fish farming:
-
Estonian University of Life Sciences, which offers a degree program in "Fisheries and Applied Ecology", and is responsible for research and scientific studies.
-
Järvamaa Vocational Education Centre, which trains aquaculture technicians (level 4 qualification: fish farmer).
Support Measures
In 2022 and 2023, aquaculture producers could apply to PRIA (Estonian Agricultural Registers and Information Board) for funding under the measure “Support for Reducing the Negative Environmental Impact of Aquaculture Enterprises”. In 2023, they could also apply under the measure “Extraordinary Support for Fishery, Aquaculture, or Fish Product Processing Enterprises to Compensate for Electricity Costs.”
The Rural Development Foundation provides investment loans through the EMFF (European Maritime and Fisheries Fund) for companies starting or operating in aquaculture production.
Aquaculture Support
On the website of the Agricultural Registers and Information Board (PRIA), it is possible to find information about support measures in the fisheries sector funded by the European Fisheries Fund.
The Rural Development Foundation (MES) offers loans to entrepreneurs engaged in aquaculture.
History of Aquaculture
The history of fish farming is quite long, but for most of that time, fish have been raised extensively using simple technology. The intensive farming technologies used today for most fish, aquatic invertebrates, and aquatic plants have been developed in the last 50 years or so. Only a few fish species have a cultivation history spanning more than a hundred years.
Fish farming began in China. Around 475 BCE, a Chinese author named Fan Lei wrote a manuscript outlining the basics of pond fish farming. This can be considered the world’s first textbook on aquaculture. The Chinese began domesticating carp, but later discovered even more beneficial fish species for aquaculture—herbivorous fish, including the white amur (which feeds on higher aquatic plants), silver carp (which eats phytoplankton), and bighead carp (which feeds on zooplankton). These species, when raised together in polyculture in the same pond, do not compete for food and effectively produce "three harvests from the same field." These fish still dominate global aquaculture production today. In China, more complex polycultures have been developed by adding predatory species such as black amur, carp, and others to the same ponds.
The keeping of ornamental fish in ponds also originates from the East. In China, the goldfish was selectively bred from the silver crucian carp, eventually becoming a popular aquarium fish. The koi, a colorful ornamental carp bred for decorative garden ponds, became internationally recognized through Japan.
Already in antiquity, Romans introduced carp from the Danube River basin to Italy and kept them in ponds along with other fish. However, productive pond carp farming began in Central Europe, particularly in what is now the Czech Republic and southern Germany. The tradition of pond fish farming in Europe dates back to the Middle Ages, a period during which religious fasting was common—meat was forbidden, but fish was allowed. Monks living in monasteries were innovative: they invented famous liqueurs like Benedictine and Chartreuse, advanced beer brewing, and also developed fish farming as a source of food during fasting.
In the Nordic countries, modern intensive fish farming was notably advanced in Denmark, where technologies for the intensive pond farming of rainbow trout were developed, alongside significant work on recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and eel farming. In Norway, intensive technologies were developed for farming salmon in sea cages, and Finland has managed to raise grayling to market size.
America made its initial contribution to aquaculture by beginning the cultivation of rainbow trout, a species now farmed worldwide. Other fish species, such as channel catfish and brook trout, were later introduced from the U.S. to other countries, but none have become as globally significant.
The theoretical possibility of fertilizing and incubating fish eggs under artificial conditions was discovered in the 18th century by German scientist S. L. Jacobi. However, the development of a reliable fish reproduction technique known as dry fertilization is credited to the Russians (V. Vrasski and others), who achieved this in the 1850s. Russian scientists have also made significant contributions to the breeding and restocking of valuable and rare sturgeon species.
(Adapted from: Fish Farming and Fish Health, 2006)
