Belarus’ imports of fish and seafood stood at 185,000 tonnes in 2023

Domestic fish farms fully cover the needs of Belarusians in freshwater fish – as informed by Olga Boreisha, the Deputy Head of the Department of Industrial Livestock and Fisheries at the Agriculture and Food Ministry

“A Belarusian eats about 14-15 kilograms of fish a year, of which a little more than 2kg are domestic freshwater fish,” the specialist said. “Based on these figures, we understand that Belarus can provide itself with freshwater fish. Nevertheless, it is not a maritime country, so the share of imports is significant: i.e. about 185 thousand tonnes of fish and seafood were imported to Belarus last year. Russia is the key partner, and we are now negotiating with Kamchatka.”

At the same time, Belarus exports fish as well: up to 2,000 tonnes a year. “Due to the fact that Russia mainly has wild fish, many regions need fry. For example, the Lokhva farm – which has a hatchery for growing fry – helps them. In turn, the Selets farm exports fry of herbivorous fish species,” Ms. Boreisha noted.

The total volume of cultivation of valuable fish species in Belarus is about 600 tonnes, and trout is the main of them.