Experts note that Russians currently eat fish in quantities that meet international health standards.
According to specialists, fish consumption in Russia has increased significantly in recent years. The Ministry of Health recommends that everyone eat at least 28 kg of fish per year; currently, the average per capita consumption in the country is approximately 26 kg.
Achieving this figure can be considered very positive.
However, further growth is currently highly questionable.
In particular, limited supply is a serious obstacle. Simply put, Russian fish producers are unlikely to be able to significantly increase their catches in the short term.
Consequently, citizens will not be able to eat more fish than is physically available on store shelves.
At the same time, the catch for 2025 will be approximately 4.7 million tons. This is slightly less than the previous year, approximately 4%.
Experts claim that the industry will be able to return to its previous level, but a sharp increase in production appears highly unlikely under current conditions.
To significantly increase catches, producers would have to develop remote areas of the world’s oceans, which is economically unfeasible.
At the same time, overall fish production in Russia is currently quite stable, as is the catch structure. It is emphasized that approximately 80% of the catch is accounted for by ten main species, and their availability in the ocean currently raises no concerns.
Aquaculture is also showing no growth: over the past five years, excluding algae, production has essentially stagnated. Last year, total aquaculture production increased by 3%, to 400,000 tons.
Therefore, if Russians want to fully meet recommended fish consumption standards, their only remaining option is to increase imports of raw materials.
Experts believe this could help expand the market. By creating a sustainable culture of fish consumption within the country, producers could be given greater incentive to increase catch volumes where possible.
Furthermore, the production of high-value-added products, such as fish fillets and further processed goods, is a promising area.
Exporting such products could be a significant driver of revenue growth for fish producers.
