The Krasnodar region of Russia has seen an explosion of growth in its shellfish industry.
The Krasnodar region, on the shores of the Black Sea, is a popular tourist destination, with 17 million visitors each year. The nutrient-rich waters of the sea, coupled with tourist demand at high-end restaurants, has led to a boom for seafood production in the area as guests seek to try local cuisine.
The region's production of mussels and oysters increased 70 percent in the first 10 months of 2021 compared to 2020, and an increase in state support along with plans for new farms in the region are expected to further the production boom.
In 2021, the Krasnodar region produced 30 metric tons (MT) of oysters and 280 MT of mussels in the first 10 months of the year, along with 12 MT of crawfish, according to the Krasnodar Vice Governor Andrei Korobka. That’s on top of a 13 percent increase in production in 2020 compared to 2019.
In 2019, the region’s authorities launched a five-year mariculture development plan to meet the area’s demand for shellfish through local production. Currently, a 36 sites totaling 5,700 hectares have been established in the Black Sea to grow fish and shellfish. Seven companies are currently farming shellfish in Sochi, Anapa, Gelendzhik, and Tuapse.
The region currently lacks more-sophisticated aquaculture technology and equipment, but the Krasnodar government has launched support programs to try and change that. Funding for the program was increased twofold in 2022 compared to 2021, totaling RUB 35.5 million (USD 461,900, EUR 409,700).
Driven by the state investments and rising demand from restaurants, the production volumes of mussels and oysters in the region has tripled in the last five years. The increases are mirrored in other parts of Russia, as areas like the Republic of Karelia – a region with multiple lakes fit for growing a wide range of species – saw its production of mussels increase by six times in 2021 compared to 2020.
Much of the production increase from 2014 through 2020 can be attributed to the residual impact of a ban on certain seafood imports imposed by Russia in August 2014, which increased demand for domestically-grown products.
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