Croatia’s seafood becoming more popular abroad

Croatia’s seafood exports rising

ZAGREB, 6 January 2020 – Croatia’s seafood is becoming an increasingly popular delicacy abroad, as evidenced by export figures, reports Poslovni.hr. 

In the first eight months of 2019, Croatia exported fresh or chilled bluefin tuna worth 31.2 million euros (2,800 tonnes), which is almost as much as the total exports in 2018 when 33.9 million euros (3,000 tonnes) worth was exported.

The total exports of fish, crustaceans and molluscs in 2018 amounted to 170.4 million euro (47,000 tonnes), of which fresh or chilled fish accounted for 108.2 million (21,000 tonnes). In addition to tuna, which is a favourite in Japan, Croatia’s largest seafood export to the EU market was fresh or chilled sea bass (26.4 million euros or 4.300 tonnes), sea bream (23.6 million euros or 3.800 tonnes), sardines (3.6 million euros – 4,500 tons) and European anchovies (inćun) (3,5 million euros – 2,200 tons).

(Photo: Lora Tomas)

“The data shows that the international market clearly recognises the quality of domestic fish that comes from sustainable farming. This quality is promoted by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce through the project “Fish of Croatia – eat what is worthy”, which aims to encourage citizens to consume fish as often as possible and thus contribute to the development of the domestic economy,” Poslovni writes.

In the first eight months of 2019, total exports of fish, crustaceans and molluscs reached 121.1 million euros, which is a good indication that exports in 2019 could exceed 2018 results. By the end of August 2019, Croatia had exported 14,100 tonnes of fresh fish worth 82.6 million euros. 

The majority of domestic aquaculture production is exported to the European Union (Italy, Slovenia, Spain) and Japan.