ESTONIA
Table 1 Sale of aquaculture products in 2008-2012 (tonnes) Species
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012*
Rainbow trout
334
549
488
334
245
Carp
52
45
39
38
38
Eel
46
30
20
2
..
CrayďŹ sh
0.7
2
0.4
0.6
0.1
Others
51
29
51
19
88
Total
484
655
599
393
371
* Statistical board does not collect data of aquaculture production since 2012, there is only data of sale information in aquaculture products
by companies that focus purely on aquaculture production, while at the other end point are companies where fish farming is one of several activities that could include tourism, agriculture, electricity generation, etc. Within these two axes the strategy group identified four scenarios:
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The first one is to really focus on rainbow trout and continue investments in those facilities to start to compete with Norwegian salmon on, for example, the St Petersburg markets and to aim for a 10-fold increase in capacity by 2020. The other is specialising in niche products or to find Estonian
fish that are well-known in the world, e.g. eel, crayfish, catfish. The focus would be to identify one or more species for export to foreign markets as the domestic market is limited. These species would not compete with marine farmed products.
Estonian aquaculture will be relegated to a lifestyle business that creates synergies with tourism.
The third scenario was to focus on the Estonian market and build up a leading position there by concentrating on more value-added fresh products and not trying to compete with traditionally imported products. At the same time the sector would look for opportunities to develop and export niche products.
After presenting the four options the consensus in the strategy group was very strongly for the third scenario, says Mr Sakkeus, in which the focus would be the domestic market. Here the Producer Organisation would have to play a leading role. There is currently one aquaculture PO, which has two recognised species of fish, trout and eel. The PO, which represents about 50 of the trout farmers, has recently started building its own processing facilities. The idea is
The fourth option is to assume that Estonia has no advantages and cannot compete with marine farmed fish and
Greater value addition and focus on domestic market
Eurofish Magazine 5 / 2013
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