Expertise
German aquaculture at a glance
Cornelia Kreiß, Johna Barrelet | 11.03.2025
More than 30,000 tonnes of fish and seafood are produced in aquaculture in Germany every year. That sounds a lot at first, but it only meets a small part of German demand.
The production volume of German aquaculture farms amounted to 31,353 tonnes in 2023. Nearly 55 percent of the total production was from freshwater sources, while just over 45 percent came from marine aquaculture (primarily mussels). Of the freshwater fish, more than half (60 percent) were salmonids: predominantly rainbow trout, followed by salmon trout and Alsatian char. Carp accounted for nearly a quarter of the total fish production.
Wholesale as the most important customer
The majority of the products produced (69 percent) were distributed via wholesale trade in 2023. Nearly 9 percent of total production was sold directly to customers, with a further 9 percent going to catering, angling parks, and other aquaculture operations. Eight percent were processed at the production sites, and only 6 percent went to food retail.
Production mainly takes place in tanks, raceways, and ponds. Only 12 percent of German freshwater aquaculture production is currently being carried out in recirculating systems.
Further information on the production systems can be found in the fact sheet on livestock farming in Germany "Aquaculture" (in German).
Small farms - big challenges
Short transport routes, sustainable production, and good quality characterise regional aquaculture. The sector is dominated by many small operations:
53 percent of German aquaculture businesses produce one tonne per year or less. Although this is the most common business size, it accounts for only 2 percent of the sector's total production. 21 percent of businesses produce over 5 tonnes per year. They contribute 91 percent of the total production volume.
While there were 3,285 aquaculture businesses across all sectors in 2015, by 2023 there were only 2,016 (Destatis 2024). This represents a 39 percent decrease. In freshwater aquaculture businesses, 2,026 employees were employed, while in marine aquaculture, there were 151 (BA 2024). The significant decline in aquaculture businesses is due to a multitude of challenges facing the sector. Frequently cited problems by producers include losses due to predators (otters, cormorants, herons, starfish, crabs, and seabirds), climate change (particularly water scarcity, heat, heavy rain events, and general extreme weather), lack of successors in businesses, rising production and labour costs, and bureaucratic framework conditions.
Background: Fish consumption in Germany
In 2023, Germany has a per capita annual consumption of 12.5 kilograms of fish and seafood (FIZ 2024), which is significantly lower than the global average of 20.7 kilograms per capita (FAO 2024).
The total annual consumption is divided into 6.8 kilograms of marine fish, 3.8 kilograms of freshwater fish, and 1.9 kilograms of crustaceans and molluscs (FIZ 2024; each in catch weights). Thus, almost twice as many marine fish as freshwater fish end up on German plates. In 2023, salmon is the most popular fish among Germans, followed by Alaska pollock, tuna, and herring (FIZ 2024). These products are mainly purchased in cans and marinades (27 percent) or frozen (23 percent). The market share of smoked fish is 9 percent. Fresh fish makes up only 13 percent of the German per capita consumption (FIZ 2024).
About 10 percent of the fish products available on the domestic market come from German fisheries or local aquaculture. Therefore, Germany relies on the import of fish products to meet the majority of its demand (FIZ 2024).
The share of domestic fish and fishery products is composed of the landings of the German fishing fleet (83 percent), the catches of commercial inland fisheries (1 percent), and the production of German aquaculture (16 percent). However, 86 percent of the landings of the German fishing fleet are landed in foreign ports and are considered exports.
Download Service
The fact sheet on animal husbandry in Germany ‘Aquaculture’ provides an insight into the characteristics of carp farming as well as salmonid and trout farming. It also contains information on mussel production, which is the most important form of production in marine aquaculture in Germany. In addition, the fact sheet on animal husbandry in Germany ‘Aquaculture’ provides information on price trends for aquaculture products and the most important cost factors for aquaculture businesses. It also contains information on employment within the sector
