Slovenia

Type of species farmed (Source: 2023, EUMOFA; 2022, STECF, Slovenia, personal com., January 17, 2023)

Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), Brown trout (Salmo trutta), Common carp (Cyprinus carpio), Freshwater catfish (Clarias gariepinus), European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), Gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) and Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis), Warty venus (Venus verrucosa).

Type of production method (Source: 2023, EUMOFA) 

With direct access to the sea (around 46 km of coastline), aquaculture consists of marine (30%) and freshwater (70%) aquaculture. According to Eurostar, the following main production methods were used in 2021: 

• 60% of production: in tanks and raceways. 
• 25% of production on bottom in sea and brackish water 
• 9% of production in ponds in freshwater. 
• 5% of production in cages in swea and brackish water. 
• 1% of production: off bottom in sea and brackish water. 
   

Sector’s size (production and consumption) (Source: 2023, EUMOFA; 2020, Republic of Slovenia, Statistical Office) 

• Production: 1.674 Tn; 5.800 thousand € (2020, Republic of Slovenia, Statistical office) 
• Consumption of fishery and aquaculture products (2021): 11,71 Kg per capita (2023, EUMOFA) 
• % Variation in consumption 2021/2020: -2% 
   

Trends (past and future) (Source: MNSPA) 

Increasing the competitiveness and sustainability of aquaculture, as well as improving the energy efficiency of such facilities.
 

Impact of aquaculture in the country’s economy, food market and labour market (Source: MNSPA) 

The annual consumption of fish per capita as self-sufficiency in Slovenia is well below the European Union average.
 

Challenges and opportunities (Source: MNSPA) 

Challenges: 

• Low capital strength of the sector. 
• Innovation and research in aquaculture. 
• Climate change and biodiversity considerations. 
• Environmental performance of aquaculture. 
• Low productivity. 
• Optimising and shortening administrative procedures. 
• Harmonised spatial planning by including space for aquaculture activities, in particular shellfish farming, re-verifying the compatibility of aquaculture with other activities and assessing the environmental impact. 
• Information and traceability of aquaculture products. 

Opportunities: 

• Raising consumer awareness of the benefits of home-grown food. 
• Ensure further development and promote greater competitiveness of the aquaculture sector. 
• The introduction of environmentally friendly forms of aquaculture will also achieve a social consensus based on the environmental acceptability of this economic activity. 
• Ensuring quality, healthy and fresh products, mainly from domestic production, by ensuring traceability and control from the place of rearing to the plate. 
• Digitalisation will make an important contribution to shortening the authorisation procedures for aquaculture. 

Employment and number of enterprises (Source: Statistical Office, MNSPA) 

Number of persons employed in aquaculture in 2020 was 181, out of which full time employed 90 persons. 

Published National Strategic Plan on Aquaculture: National strategic plan for the development of aquaculture in the Republic of Slovenia for the period 2021-2030

Summary in English of the "Published National Strategic Plan on Aquaculture": National Strategic Plan for the Development of Aquaculture in the Republic of Slovenia for the period 2021-2030

• Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food  
• Directorate of Food and Fisheries 
• Ministry of Environment and Space 
• Food Safety, Veterinary and Plant Protection Administration 
• Inspectorate for Agriculture, Forestry, Hunting and Fisheries  

• Marine Fisheries Act 
• Freshwater Fisheries Act  
• Livestock Farming Act  
• Veterinary Act  

• Water right (including water permits for the cultivation of aquatic organisms) 
• Environmental impact assessment or environmental report 
• Special permit of cultivation of alien species of aquatic organisms 
• Register of aquaculture facilities and commercial ponds and records of approved aquaculture production establishments (Central Register of Aquaculture Facilities and Commercial Ponds) (CRA) 

• Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry of Slovenia  
• Aquatic Animal Farmers Association of Slovenia  

Fisheries Research Institute of Slovenia

Name and surname: Borut Kosi 

Position held and name of the organisation: Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry and Food, Fisheries sector, Adviser 

Email address: borotu.kosi51@gov.si  

Telephone number: +386 1 478 9370