Russia to increase Iranian fish imports fivefold
Russia is expected to increase its purchases of Iranian fish and shrimp fivefold to 100,000 tons following a visit by a Russian veterinary delegation to Iran on Oct. 5, the head of Iran’s Union of Aquatic Producers and Exporters said on Tuesday.
Ali Akbar Khodaei said that Iran’s fish exports to Russia would increase fivefold, with 20 Iranian companies currently licensed to export fish to Russia. The visit by the Russian veterinary delegation is expected to pave the way for another 10 to 12 Iranian companies to obtain export licenses, he said.
At that level, Russia would receive about 6.5% of Iran’s annual fish production of 1.5 million tons, Khodaei said.
Russia is a major buyer of Iranian shrimp and trout. It imported about 19,000 tons of fish and fisheries products from Iran in 2024, making it the third-largest destination for Iranian aquatic exports after Iraq and China.
According to Fisheries Organization data, Iran catches more than 800,000 tons of fish annually and produces more than 700,000 tons through aquaculture. The country’s trout production capacity is about 200,000 tons.
Regulatory restrictions, including those affecting the trade of aquatic feed, remain among the obstacles to the expansion of the market, the data showed.