Kazakhstan’s fishery sector, long overshadowed, has finally received a strong boost for development. The adoption of a dedicated law, growth in domestic production, development of exports, and the emergence of new farms are turning aquaculture into one of the priority areas in the country’s agro-industrial policy.
Aquaculture Law
The year 2025 marked a turning point for Kazakhstan’s fishery sector. In the summer, the Law on Aquaculture was adopted, creating more favorable conditions for the development of fish farming, expanding domestic production, and reducing dependence on imports. Key measures include increased government subsidies, preferential tax treatment, and support for investment projects.
Sharp growth from a low base
According to the Bureau of National Statistics, from January to July 2025, the volume of processed and canned fish, crustaceans, and mollusks increased by 20.7%, reaching 35.5 thousand tons. However, this growth is largely attributed to the low base of the previous year, when the sector had declined by 17%.
For the first time since 2022, domestic production volumes equaled imports — a notable achievement. However, export volumes have declined: in the first seven months of 2025, the volume of exports and re-exports amounted to 10.3 thousand tons, 17.3% less than the same period the previous year.
Aquaculture: regional successes and growth driver
The aquaculture sector — the farming of fish and other aquatic organisms — is showing steady growth. In 2024, Kazakhstan produced 18.2 thousand tons of farmed fish, 2.5 times more than in 2021.
The leader was Turkestan Region, accounting for a quarter of the total — 4.4 thousand tons. Carp, pikeperch, silver carp, and grass carp are farmed here. It is followed by East Kazakhstan Region with 2 thousand tons (a 3.8-fold increase compared to 2021), where trout and salmon dominate.
The top five regions also include:
- Zhambyl Region — 1.8 thousand tons
- Almaty Region — 1.7 thousand tons
- North Kazakhstan Region — 1.6 thousand tons
Southern regions favor trout, while northern regions prefer peled (a type of whitefish).
Revenue growth and investment activity
The sector's economic indicators have also significantly improved. The total value of products and services in aquaculture in 2024 increased 2.3 times, from 6.5 billion to 14.9 billion tenge.
- East Kazakhstan Region led in financial results with 3.1 billion tenge,
- followed by Turkestan Region with 2.9 billion tenge.
Interestingly, despite higher production volumes, Turkestan lags behind in revenue, as it primarily produces less valuable fish species compared to, for example, trout in East Kazakhstan.
The growing interest in fish farming is also driven by strong government support. In 2023, investment in sector infrastructure reached a record 22.3 billion tenge. New farms and cage aquaculture facilities were launched.
However, in 2024, investment activity declined, and from January to August 2025, only 3.4 billion tenge were invested in fixed capital, 20.3% less than the previous year.
New projects and future plans
Despite the drop in investment, the sector has promising prospects. In September 2025, the Fisheries Committee announced the launch of a major project in Mangystau Region — a trout farm on the Caspian Sea worth 12 billion tenge, of which 5 billion tenge is a preferential loan.
Additionally, over the next two years, 39 new aquaculture farms are planned to be opened across Kazakhstan, with a total value of about 50 billion tenge.
With stable government support and continued investor interest, this sector has the potential to become a strategically important element of Kazakhstan’s food security and export potential.
Source: Energy Prom (in Russian)