ESTONIA
support? In addition, if Estonia unilaterally withdrew support it would create an uneven playing field, where Estonian fishers would be at a disadvantage. It might work, says Mr Ulmas, if the decision to phase out subsidies was taken by all the Member States (MS) individually or made at the EU level. The idea of the support is to introduce some structural changes, he adds, not just replace old investments. In some cases, aid helps when there is a market failure and banks are not offering funding. In this case financial instrument loans can be useful to bring about desirable outcomes, for example in the aquaculture sector, such as energy saving or more efficient use of resources, better cleaning systems to reduce the environmental burden, or greener and more efficient alternatives
to older machinery. In general, says Mr Petron, for the aquaculture sector aid needs to focus more on improving existing farms rather than adding capacity. Estonia is chasing a farmed fish production target of about 2,500 tonnes a year, a threefold increase in the current level. On the salmonid market, locally farmed trout vies with Norwegian salmon. The only way to compete is by offering freshness and quality. This calls for a short supply chain, says Mr Petron, and that is where our support should go. Given that levels of support are likely to decline in the future, the discussion on getting the actors in the fisheries sector to depend more on collaboration and less on support is clearly an important one.
Hannes Ulmas, Head of the Market Regulation and Trade Bureau
Ecofarm is investing heavily in value addition
Convenience products for the Estonian market The Estonian aquaculture sector comprised some 54 companies in 2015 an 8% increase over the year before. In 2016, production increased by 9% to 868 tonnes with a strong focus on trout which accounted for almost four ďŹ fths of the total. Other cultivated species include carp and eel.
W
hile farmed fish and seafood production in total has generally increased since 2012 the trend in production of individual species is more difficult to discern as some data, for example, of eel production, is kept confidential and only included in the generic “Other fish� category.
A PO for the aquaculture sector Both at European and national levels there is a will to increase sustainable production from aquaculture, and one of the instruments to deliver this is the system of Producer Organisations (PO). In Estonia, an aquaculture
PO has been established that brings together five famers with a combined production of 186 tonnes of fish. More importantly, the PO represents 40 of the Estonian trout production, a prerequisite for recognition as a PO. The PO not only buys the fish from the farmers but also processes and markets it. Ecofarm,
as the PO is known, was established in 2010. The main functions of POs are to collectively manage the activities of their members, directing them to sustainable methods of operating, helping them match supply with demand, and supporting them to add value to their production. POs may also promote their Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2017
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