Data extracted in March 2025.
Planned article update: April 2026.
Highlights
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(million tonnes, EU, 2000–2023)
Source: Eurostat (fish_ca_main), (fish_aq_q) and (fish_aq2a)
This article gives an overview of recent statistics relating to aquaculture production in the European Union (EU).
The current common fisheries policy (CFP) of the EU[1] aims at an environmentally, economically and socially sustainable use of the common resource including aquaculture production.
EU Aquaculture
Aquaculture: almost 1.1 million tonnes of aquatic organisms yielded in EU in 2023, worth €4.8 billion
Aquaculture is the production of fish and other aquatic organisms like molluscs and crustaceans under controlled conditions; it is an alternative to catching wild fish and takes place both inland and in marine areas. Aquaculture is a key component of both the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and the Blue Growth [2] agenda to support sustainable growth in this sector.
Aquaculture farming in the EU yielded an estimated 1.1 million tonnes of aquatic organisms in 2023, corresponding to one-quarter of the output of European fisheries as a whole. This share was well below the global average in 2020 (about 49 % [3]), underlining the growth potential in the EU. In terms of output, the EU's aquaculture sector was the thirteenth largest worldwide, a little more than Thailand, with a 0.9 % share of the volume of global output in 2022. The value of aquaculture production in the EU was an estimated €4.8 billion in 2023, representing just over two-fifths of the total value of the EU's total production of fishery products (landings and aquaculture).
Four countries produced about two-thirds of the EU's aquaculture output volume and 63 % of its value
Four EU countries were responsible for about two-thirds (66.6%) of the EU's total output in tonnes live weight of farmed aquatic organisms in 2023 (see Figure 1); Spain produced a little less than one-quarter (an estimated 23.1%) of the total, followed by France (17.8%), Greece (13.4%) and Italy (12.3%).
Different aquatic organisms fetch different prices. For instance, the average first sale prices for mussels were about €1 per kg, for seabass around €7 per kg, and for tuna were about €12 per kg. Among EU countries, France had the highest value of aquaculture output in 2023 (an estimated €906 million), representing 18.8% of the EU total. The value of output was next highest in Spain (€802 million), then in Greece (€684 million) and Italy (€618 million).
To put the EU's aquaculture industry in some perspective, the value of aquaculture output in Norway exceeded that of the whole of the EU; Norway produced 1.6 million tonnes of aquatic organisms (almost exclusively salmon), worth €10.0 billion in 2023. Norway was the world's sixth largest producer in aquaculture fish production in 2022, with a 2.7% global share. It was also the world's second largest exporter of aquatic organisms, after China.
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All fisheries production in the EU's landlocked countries (Czechia, Hungary, Austria and Slovakia) comes from aquaculture. Note that Luxembourg has no market production.
In general, aquaculture plays a major role in the countries around the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. In Malta, aquaculture accounted for 91.2% of total fisheries production in tonnes live weight in 2023, a similar proportion as in Slovenia. Aquaculture also accounted for a majority of total fisheries production in Cyprus (89.3%), Romania (77.4%), Greece (69.4%), Bulgaria (59.8%) and Italy (51.8%).
Aquaculture species and specialisation
EU aquaculture production focused on finfish species and molluscs
Finfish (particularly trout, seabream, seabass, carp, tuna and salmon) and molluscs (particularly mussels, oysters and clams) together accounted for almost all of aquaculture production by weight in the EU in 2023.
Rainbow trout was the most valuable species farmed in the EU in 2023, accounting for 17.7% of all aquaculture production. The farmed production of seabass, seabream and oysters were the next most valuable (see Figure 2).
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The production of algae and seaweed is an emerging sector of the blue economy. In addition to catches at sea, principally in the Atlantic, Northeast area, there is an increasing, albeit small, amount from aquaculture. These algae and seaweeds (including brown, red and green seaweeds) are used for example in food, feed production, industrial and pharmaceutical products. Although the volume of production of aquatic plants from aquaculture is small compared with catches and landings of aquatic plants (about 1%), the value of production is relatively high. France was the main EU producer of farmed aquatic plants in 2023, which had an average price of about €20 per kg (wet weight). There is considerable specialisation in the market, with some EU countries like Spain and Portugal also targeting high value added cultivated species.
A high degree of country specialisation within the EU
The aquaculture sector is highly specialised within the EU.
Spain produced about 7 in every 10 tonnes of the EU's farmed Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) in 2023, largely due to its rafts in the estuaries of northern Spain using the 'off bottom' method. Blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) were farmed in the Atlantic, Northeast area by the France (about 41% of the EU total in 2023), the Netherlands (about 26%) and Ireland (about 12%). Both 'off bottom' (preferred in Ireland) and 'on-bottom' methods (preferred in the Netherlands) were used.
Greece produced about 62% of the EU's farmed production of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) and 51% of European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) in 2023. Poland and Czechia were the leading EU producers of common carp (Cyprinus carpio), together producing about 53% of the EU total. At world level, common carp was the fifth most farmed finfish species.
Within the EU, Pacific cupped oysters (Magallana gigas) were produced mainly in France (about 89% of the total in 2023). Worldwide, about 33% of all molluscs produced in 2022 were cupped oysters. Italy produced the vast majority (about 94% in 2023) of the EU’s farmed Japanese carpet shell (Ruditapes philippinarum). At world level, it was the second most produced species among the molluscs (23% of the total in 2022).
Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) were farmed in cages in only four EU countries: Malta accounted for about 57% of EU farmed production of bluefin tuna, Spain about 33%, Croatia about 10%, with a small amount (less than 1%) also being produced in Portugal.
Ireland was the only EU country farming salmon in the EU in 2023, producing about of 9 300 tonnes. However, this quantity was far below the 1.5 million tonnes farmed in Norway. At world level, Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) was the eighth most produced finfish species.
The production of farmed rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykis) in the EU is something of an exception to the general observation about country specialisation; rainbow trout were farmed in 20 EU countries. About 50% of the farmed live-weight of rainbow production in the EU in 2023 came from the combined output of France, Italy and Denmark. Fish were farmed either in inland freshwater (more than two-thirds of the total) or in the saltwater of the Atlantic, Northeast area, and mainly in tanks (about 50%).
EU aquaculture volume and value
Steady level of EU aquaculture production volume but rising value
Between 2010 and 2023, the volume of EU aquaculture production remained relatively stable (see Figure 3). However, the value of this production increased sharply (up 78%) due to higher prices, particularly in 2021 and 2022.
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(2010=100, EU and Norway, 2010-2023)
Source: Eurostat (fish_aq2a)
Over this same period, there was a sharp increase in both the volume and value of Norwegian aquaculture production. In 2023, the volume of aquaculture production in Norway was 62% higher than in 2010, although there was a slight decrease of 0.7% between 2022 and 2023. The value of output in 2023 was slightly more than two and half times more than in 2010, with sharp rises in 2021 and 2022 building on more gradual growth in many other years throughout the period.
Organic Aquaculture
Organic aquaculture production on the rise in the EU
A number of EU countries farm aquaculture products according to organic criteria. In Ireland, the overwhelming majority (about 86%) of aquaculture production (mainly salmon) was farmed organically in 2022. This was by far the highest proportion among EU countries (see Figure 4). The next highest shares among EU countries were in the Netherlands (about 36% in 2022), Slovenia (about 30% in 2022), Lithuania (about 30% in 2023) and in Denmark (24% in 2022).
These shares contrasted sharply with other EU countries, including the three with the highest level of aquaculture production in 2023; the share of organic aquaculture production in total aquaculture production was less than 2% in Greece, France and Spain (all in 2022).
Organic aquaculture production grew rapidly in a number of EU countries in the period between 2014 and 2023. In Italy, organic aquaculture production increased by about 12 000 tonnes in this period. In 2022, combined organic aquaculture production of Netherlands and Denmark reached 22 500 tonnes, while there was little to no organic in 2014. By contrast, there were contractions in the organic aquaculture production, particularly in Romania but also Hungary, the two countries together producing about 5 000 tonnes less in 2022 than in 2014.
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(% share of total aquaculture production, selected Member States, 2023)
Source: Eurostat (org_aqtspec)
Source data for tables and graphs
Data sources
Fisheries statistics are collected by Eurostat from official national sources for the EU countries and members of the European Economic Area (EEA). The statistics are collected using internationally agreed concepts and definitions developed by the Coordinating Working Party (CWP), comprising Eurostat and several other international organisations with responsibilities in fisheries statistics.
Aquaculture production refers to the farming of aquatic (freshwater or saltwater) organisms, under controlled conditions. Aquaculture implies some form of intervention in the natural rearing process such as regular stocking, feeding and protection from predators. Farming also implies individual or corporate ownership of the stock being cultivated.
The legal basis for aquaculture statistics is Regulation (EC) No 762/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008. The legal basis for organic aquaculture is Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 of 28 June 2007 on organic production and labelling of organic products and Commission Regulation (EC) No 889/2008 of 5 September 2008 laying down detailed rules for its implementation. Symbols
In order to improve readability, only the most significant meta-information has been included under the tables and figures. The following symbols are used, where necessary:
- Italic data value is forecasted, provisional or estimated and is likely to change
- ':' not available or confidential
- '-' not applicable
Context
The European Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy underline the potential of farmed seafood as a source of protein for food and feed with a low-carbon footprint which has an important role to play in helping to build a sustainable food system. This sector can also help: decarbonise the economy; fight climate change and mitigate its impact; reduce pollution; contribute to better preserving ecosystems (in line with the objectives of the Biodiversity strategy and the Zero-pollution ambition for a toxic-free environment); and be part of a more circular management of resources. To this end, the European Commission produced strategic guidelines (COM(2021) 236 final) for a more sustainable and competitive EU aquaculture in May 2021 [4]
The European Commission has proposed a new fund to invest in the maritime economy and support fishing communities. The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund will continue to support the European fisheries sector towards more sustainable fishing practices, with a particular focus on supporting small-scale fishermen. It will co-finance projects alongside national funding streams, with each EU country receiving a share of the total budget.
Notes
- ↑ See, http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/cfp/index_en.htm.
- ↑ For more information, see the maritime affairs section on the European Commission's website.
- ↑ The state of world fisheries and aquaculture, 2022 — FAO, available at [1].
- ↑ For more information, see the strategic guidelines from the European Commission.
Explore further
Database
- Catches by fishing area (fish_ca)
- Aquaculture production (fish_aq)
- Landings of fishery products (fish_ld)
- Fishing fleet (fish_fleet)
Thematic section
Publications
- Key figures on the European food chain – 2023 edition (Key figures)
Selected datasets
- Catches in all fishing regions (tag00076)
- Catches in the north-west Atlantic (tag00079)
- Catches in the north-east Atlantic (tag00078)
- Catches in the eastern central Atlantic (tag00080)
- Catches in the Mediterranean (tag00081)
- Aquaculture production, Total (tag00075)
- Fishing fleet, Total engine power (tsdnr420)
- Fishing fleet, Total tonnage (tag00083)
- Fishing Fleet, Number of Vessels (tag00116)
Methodology
- Aquaculture production by species (ESMS metadata file — fish_aq_esms)
- Catches by fishing area (ESMS metadata file — fish_ca_esms)
- Fishing fleet (ESMS metadata file — fish_fleet_esms)
External links
Legislation
- Catch statistics:
Regulation (EC) No 216/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2009 on the submission of nominal catch statistics by Member States fishing in certain areas other than those of the North Atlantic (Summary)
Regulation (EC) No 217/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2009 on the submission of catch and activity statistics by Member States fishing in the North-West Atlantic (Summary)
Regulation (EC) No 218/2009 of 11 March 2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the submission of nominal catch statistics by Member States fishing in the North-East Atlantic (Summary)
- Aquaculture:
Regulation (EC) No 762/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 on the submission by Member States of statistics on aquaculture and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 788/96 (Summary)
- Landings:
Regulation (EC) No 1921/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 on the submission of data on the landings of fishery products in Member States (Summary)
- Fishing fleet:
Commission Regulation (EC) No 26/2004 of 30 December 2003 on the Community fishing fleet register
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/218 of 6 February 2017 on Union fishing fleet register