ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 19. Kazakhstan is expected to launch 12 fish production projects worth 2.3 billion tenge ($4.37 million), said the Vice Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan, Amangali Berdalin, at a meeting of the headquarters chaired by the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin, Trend reports.
As the Deputy Minister noted, in 2024, the total volume of the fish product market in Kazakhstan grew by 9.3 percent and reached 96,600 tons (88,300 tons in 2023). Despite the overall increase in fish consumption within the country from 4 to 5 kg per capita in the past year, there was a decline in exports by 11 percent, from 26,000 to 23,400 tons.
With the high demand for Kazakhstani fish in more than 20 countries around the world, the main reasons for the decline in exports were changes in, and consequently the increased costs of, logistics for delivering fish products to European Union countries.
“The development of aquaculture in the country is largely supported by government assistance. Over the past 3 years, the number of fish farming enterprises has doubled, reaching 600 enterprises today,” the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan reported.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, 30 fish farming projects were implemented in 2024, worth 11.7 billion tenge ($22.23 million), with a production volume of 2,600 tons. Fish farming enterprises for barramundi were launched in Konaev, sturgeon in Kostanay, and carp in the Kyzylorda region.
In 2025, 12 projects worth 2.3 billion tenge ($4.37 million) are expected to be launched, with a total fish farming volume of 3,900 tons.
“To increase the volume of fish processing for these projects, affordable financing at a rate of 2.5 percent is available. The export of unprocessed fish is limited, and the catch limit for anchovies in the Caspian Sea has been increased from 8,000 to 30,000 tons,” the ministry added.
A separate issue was raised regarding the restoration of three state fish breeding enterprises - the Atyrau sturgeon plant, Petropavlovsk fish hatchery, and Kamyshlybash fish hatchery. The modernization of these hatcheries will significantly improve the production of fish seed material.
Zhumangarin instructed the Ministry of National Economy, in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance, to consider the possibility of supporting the modernization of state fish breeding enterprises in the short term. The Ministry of Agriculture was tasked with conducting an analysis of promising locations in the regions for the development of private fish farms. He also instructed the exploration of opportunities to provide all necessary resources for the natural reserve of Caspian seals.
Effective February 15, 2025, the Republic of Kazakhstan has enacted a six-month moratorium on the outbound logistics of specified categories of unrefined ichthyological products across all modalities of transportation.
