Fisheries 2025: production growth, digitalisation and European integration

On 10 February in Kyiv, a meeting of the Board of the State Agency of Ukraine for the Development of Land Reclamation, Fisheries and Food Programmes (State Fisheries Agency) took place, during which the results of work in 2025 were summarised and priorities for 2026 were set.

The event was attended by Deputy Ministers of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine Taras Vysotskyi and Iryna Ovcharenko, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Agrarian and Land Policy Oleksandr Haidu, Head of the State Fisheries Agency Ihor Klymenok, as well as heads of structural units and territorial bodies.

One of the key achievements was the full introduction of electronic auctions in the Prozorro.Sale system, which led to a significant increase in budget revenues. While in 2021 the state received UAH 15.4 million from the sale of lots, in 2025 this figure reached UAH 52.3 million. Of this amount, UAH 11.1 million was directed to a specially created fund to finance measures for stocking water bodies, enabling the combination of transparent resource allocation with its replenishment.

Throughout the year, 599 auctions were held and 189 contracts were concluded for 260 lots. The highest level of lot realisation was recorded at the Kremenchuk and Kaniv reservoirs, in the lower reaches of the Dnister and the Dnister estuary, as well as on the Danube.

“Electronic auctions are no longer just a tool for transparency but a full-fledged mechanism for industry development. Over four years we have achieved more than a threefold increase in revenues. It is fundamentally important that over UAH 11 million has been allocated specifically to stocking and restoring the resource base. In other words, digitalisation is directly translated into the reproduction of aquatic bioresources and the long-term sustainability of the sector,” Taras Vysotskyi noted.

Positive dynamics have also been maintained in production: in 2025, the catch of aquatic bioresources exceeded 11,400 tonnes, while aquaculture output amounted to over 16,000 tonnes, mainly in ponds. Around 6,500 people are employed in the sector, indicating the preservation of production potential.

In addition, nearly 11 million specimens of aquatic bioresources were released in 2025, including with funds from electronic auctions. Further stocking of 50 tonnes (carp, bighead carp, silver carp) was carried out in the Dnister estuary and the Kremenchuk and Kaniv reservoirs. At the same time, most regions already have fisheries development programmes in place until 2030, with funding in some regions amounting to hundreds of millions of hryvnias.

During the meeting, particular emphasis was placed on the practical implementation of the land reclamation reform. In Ukraine, 75 water user organisations have already been registered, eight of which have received ownership of engineering infrastructure facilities of reclamation systems. At the same time, international support continues to be attracted for the modernisation and restoration of state reclamation infrastructure.

“The land reclamation reform is already delivering concrete results. We are systematically bringing infrastructure facilities under the management of the State Fisheries Agency, transferring state reclamation systems in the regions and forming an effective management model through water user organisations. At the same time, we are engaging international partners for investments in modernisation and improved energy efficiency. Our task is to build a modern, resilient system of water resource management for the needs of the agricultural sector,” Iryna Ovcharenko stated.

Attention was also given to European integration. The State Fisheries Agency is implementing an action plan that provides for the transposition of 20 key EU legal acts in the areas of inspection, control and monitoring. A draft law has been developed for the implementation of EU law and improvement of state regulation in the sector, and subordinate acts are being prepared to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

In addition, the state is systematically promoting import substitution of fish products by establishing coordination between customers and Ukrainian producers. A dedicated information space has been created with a product catalogue, data on production capacities and aggregated procurement needs, enabling businesses to plan volumes and supply formats.

Following the Board meeting, priorities for 2026 were identified, including further digitalisation of sector management, expansion of stocking programmes, strengthened control, and deeper integration into European standards.