Czechia

Type of species farmed

According to available FAO statistics, the common carp (Cyprinus carpio) was the main species produced by the Czech aquaculture sector, representing 85% in terms of volume and 84% in terms of value in 2022. Silver (Hypothalmichthys molitrix), bighead carps (Hypothalmichthys nobilis), grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) and tench (Tinca tinca) are farmed in polyculture with common carp, and they represent 4.7% of production volume and 3.7% in value.

^{Source: 2025, STECF}

Type of production method

With no direct access to the sea, aquaculture activity in Czechia is limited to freshwater farming. The main aquaculture segment in Czechia is carp polyculture. Production mainly occurs in ponds (96%) and small quantities on tanks and raceways (3%). A marginal production is carried out through recirculation systems and with other methods (1%).

^{Source: MNSPA; 2025, STECF}

Trends (past and future)

• Enhancing the importance of traditional and also modern forms of aquaculture.
• Maintaining and developing traditional aquaculture production through the modernisation and innovation of existing technologies and farming facilities, including preserving the environmental benefits of fish farming.
• Increasing the production of other fish species, in particular predatory fish, through the creation of new, modern and environmentally friendly fish farms.
• Increasing the range of processed freshwater fish for the Czech market, modernisation, innovation and concentration of processing capacity.
• Supporting the growth and development of RAS technologies, creating conditions for investors from the agriculture and food industry, using waste heat from biogas installations.
• Modernisation, innovation and concentration of processing capacity, support for new processing plants (e.g. redfish =clarias and nil tilapia), cooperation with scientific research institutes, promotion of products to the public.
• The economic performance of the Czech aquaculture sector has increased during 2017-2022 period. The GVA reached €244 million in 2022. Total incomes from the aquaculture industry are significantly higher than the sales value of production due to the existence of revenues reported as other incomes.
• The overall economic situation of the aquaculture sector is sufficient for the sector to function in a relatively sustainable way.
• The dominant use of domestic production is live fish exports, which gradually increased from 40 % to 50 %.
• In Europe, the Czech Republic has no competition in the export of freshwater fish. The proportion of fresh fish increased significantly, mainly to the detriment of processed fish. An important economic element of Czech production fisheries is the export of live fish, in particular carp. Carp is a regional food for central Europe. It is mainly exported to neighbouring countries and partly to France, Belgium and Italy. The quantity of carp exported to Germany and Slovakia has been declining for a long time. While the situation of exports to Poland is very variable. The specificity of this market is the requirement for a lightly lysed fish (1.2 to 1.8 kg), which is less well placed elsewhere in Europe. Livestock farmers have adapted their stock plans to meet the needs of the Polish market.
• The consumption of fish in the Czech Republic is very low (2021: 5.6 kg/per capita/year) and compared to the world average (20.2 kg per person per year) or the EU average (25.1 kg per person per year). The important factor affecting the low consumption of fish is the small share of processed fish on the domestic market. Customers prefer to buy live fish, which is guaranteed fresh and most cost-effective.
• The specific segment of the market is the production of Ornamental forms of fish, gold carcass, koi carp, coloured forms of the crash, common helmets, large monks, pearl pears, etc.
• The dominant carp preference, in particular during Christmas, has been very slowly abandoned and people are starting to gradually prefer fish processed, especially during the year.
• The marketing of fish is even more pronounced in the spring months following the spring harvesting of chamber ponds. These sales generate ongoing funding and improve cash flow. The marketing of fish from flow systems and RAS takes place on a more or less continuous basis throughout the year.
• The Czech production market faces a deepening of professionalisation in the areas of cash-flow management, traffic economy, marketing communication (especially in the online environment) and customer relations management. On the contrary, it has expertise in fish farming and a high-quality background in universities. The price of freshwater fish is influenced by prices of imported competing products, costs of farming, fish species and processing. The traffic economy, coupled with economies of scale and high-quality know-how, has a positive impact on price reductions. Merging/associating into sales/distribution and processing cooperatives can also help increase efficiency.

^{Source: MNSPA; 2025, STECF}

Impact of aquaculture in the country’s economy, food market and labour market

• The dominant use of domestic production is live fish exports, which gradually increased from 40 % to 50 %.
• In Europe, the Czech Republic has no competition in the export of freshwater fish. The proportion of fresh fish increased significantly, mainly to the detriment of processed fish. An important economic element of Czech production fisheries is the export of live fish, in particular carp. Carp is a regional food for central Europe. It is mainly exported to neighbouring countries and partly to France, Belgium and Italy. The quantity of carp exported to Germany and Slovakia has been declining for a long time. While the situation of exports to Poland is very variable. The specificity of this market is the requirement for a lightly lysed fish (1.2 to 1.8 kg), which is less well placed elsewhere in Europe. Livestock farmers have adapted their stock plans to meet the needs of the Polish market. 
• The consumption of fish in the Czech Republic is very low (2021: 5.6 kg/per capita/year) and compared to the world average (20.2 kg per person per year) or the EU average (25.1 kg per person per year). The important factor affecting the low consumption of fish is the small share of processed fish on the domestic market. Customers prefer to buy live fish, which is guaranteed fresh and most cost-effective.
• The specific segment of the market is the production of Ornamental forms of fish, gold carcass, koi carp, coloured forms of the crash, common helmets, large monks, pearl pears, etc.
• The dominant carp preference, in particular during Christmas, has been very slowly abandoned and people are starting to gradually prefer fish processed, especially during the year.
• The marketing of fish is even more pronounced in the spring months following the spring harvesting of chamber ponds. These sales generate ongoing funding and improve cash flow. The marketing of fish from flow systems and RAS takes place on a more or less continuous basis throughout the year.
• The Czech production market faces a deepening of professionalisation in the areas of cash-flow management, traffic economy, marketing communication (especially in the online environment) and customer relations management. On the contrary, it has expertise in fish farming and a high-quality background in universities. The price of freshwater fish is influenced by prices of imported competing products, costs of farming, fish species and processing. The traffic economy, coupled with economies of scale and high-quality know-how, has a positive impact on price reductions. Merging/associating into sales/distribution and processing cooperatives can also help increase efficiency.

^{Source: MNSPA}

Challenges and opportunities

^{Source: MNSPA}

Employment and number of enterprises

In 2022, there were 440 companies, employing 2,463 employees.

^{Source: 2025, STECF}

• Act No 99/2004 on fisheries, the exercise of fishing rights, fish wardens, the protection of marine fishery resources and amending certain laws (the Fisheries Act)
• Decree No 197/2004 implementing Act No 99/2004 on fisheries, the exercise of fishing rights, fish wardens, the protection of marine fishery resources and amending certain acts (the Fisheries Act)
• Act No 154/2000 on the breeding, breeding and registration of livestock and amending certain related acts (the breeding act), as amended
• Decree No 136/2004 laying down details for the identification and registration of animals and the registration of holdings and persons provided for in the Breeding Act
• Decree No 370/2006 on professional courses for the performance of certain professional activities in the field of livestock breeding and breeding
• Decree No 72/2017 on animal genetic resources
• Decree No 448/2006 on the implementation of certain provisions of the Breeding Act
• Act No 246/1992 on the protection of animals against cruelty, as amended
• Act No 166/1999 on veterinary care and amending certain related acts (Veterinary Act)
• Act No 114/1992 on nature protection and landscape protection
• In the preparation of fish constructions (pursuant to the Act on water reservoirs intended for fish farming):
  • Act No 183/2006 on land-use planning and building regulations (Building Act) – from 1st July 2023 – Act No 283/2021
  • Act No 254/2001 on water (Water Act)
  • Act No 500/2004 the Code of Administrative Procedure

• Water permit
• Environmental permit
• Registration of livestock farms at the Regional Veterinary Administration, the processing and marketing of products, the transport of fish and the sale of fish are of particular importance 

Sources

• EUMOFA Country Profiles
• EUMOFA “The EU Fish Market” 2025 edition
• STECF 24-14 - EU Aquaculture