Fisheries and aquaculture in the Republic of Kazakhstan: a review

The inland capture fisheries and aquaculture sectors in Kazakhstan have gone through a dramatic decline in production, which lasted until 2001 for capture fisheries and continues until today for aquaculture production. While in 1989 some 89000 tonnes of fish were produced within the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR), the production in 2007 was around 43000 tonnes. The upward trend in capture fisheries production is remarkable, as in 2001 production amounted to just 21000 tonnes. Aquaculture production is almost insignificant, with production accounting for less than 400 tonnes of marketable fish in 2007. In recent years, the contribution of the fisheries sector (including capture and culture) to the gross domestic product (GDP) was less than 0.8 percent. Imports of fishery products in 2006 were some 44000 tonnes, while exports added up to 32000 tonnes. Per capita consumption of fish is estimated at just over 3kg, which makes fishery products a small contributor to the diet of the Kazakh people. The employment provided by the sector may be over 17000 jobs. In recent years, the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan, with support from its Fisheries Committee, has made many improvements to the legal framework for the fisheries sector. It is however recognized that there are still many gaps in the policy and legal framework for the sector and that enforcement of rules and regulations needs more attention. International collaboration with the Kazakh fisheries sector has increased in recent years, particularly on sturgeon issues and at regional level. This FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Circular aims to increase general understanding and awareness of the current status of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors in Kazakhstan.