Georgia’s Fish Production in 2019 Rose by 3.5%
In 2019, fish production in aquaculture complexes in Georgia rose by 3.5% to 2,465 tons.
According to Geostat, the national statistics service of Georgia, Kakheti Region leads in fish production with 35.1% ratio, Kartli ranks second with 30.3%, Guria is third with 10.1%, while the ratio of all other regions in fish production is 24.4%.
It should be noted that at the end of 2019, the total space of aquaculture impoundments had been expanded to 4,503 hectares, including the space of impoundments reached 2,425 hectares, up 4.2% year on year, while the space of basins rose to 27.9 hectares, up 7.7% year on year.
“Total space of water reservoirs and natural impoundments for aquaculture (the lake or part of the lake, part of the river, part of the sea) is 2,050 hectares. The greater part of impoundments is located in Kakheti Region on 1,603 hectares. Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti ranks second with 475.5 hectares, Imereti Region is third with 163 hectares and the space of impoundments in all other regions is 182.8 hectares.
As for December 31, 2019, the greater part of basins are located in Shida Kartli on 18.6 hectares, Samtskhe-Javakheti ranks second with 3.1 hectares, Adjara is third with 2 hectares, Guria – 1.4 hectares, all other regions – 2.7 hectares.
As for fish production, the 2019 output rose to 2,465 tons, up by 3.5% compared to 2018, including:
• salmonid fish production – 1,340 tons, up 9.2% compared to 2018
• dace – 1,013 tons, up 23.9%
• sturgeons – 97.3 tons, up 29.7%
• catfishes – 14.3 tons, up 13.5%
Simultaneously with growing space of water reservoirs for fish production and aquaculture, at the end of 2019, the volume of fish in water reservoirs declined by 7.9% to 2,230 tons, including the ratio of dace constituted 57.2%, salmonid fish – 24.4%, sturgeons – 16.6% and catfishes – 1.8%.
It should be noted that prices of all fish varieties have increased in 2019, compared to 2018, excluding Russian and Siberia sturgeons.