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The head of the Iranian Union of Seafood Producers and Exporters Ali Akbar Khodai, has said that Iran’s fish exports to Russia have the potential to grow by 400% in the coming years, while the number of Iranian suppliers of fish could increase by another ten companies.
Speaking at the Global Fishery Forum in St. Petersburg on Wednesday (September 16), he said that “We have very significant potential for cooperation with Russia, and we can raise exports from almost 20,000 tonnes to 100,000 tonnes in a very short time. Russia is one of the major importers, and we see a lot of advantages for direct cooperation.”
The forum is the primary annual industry event for Russia’s fisheries, aquaculture, processing, and maritime sectors.
Iran exported around 19,000 tonnes of fish and seafood to Russia in 2024 out of total exports of 208,000 tonnes, Khodai said. More recent data was not provided. However, he noted that there are barriers in mutual trade—in particular, regulatory restrictions are an obstacle to developing trade in aquaculture feed. But these issues are being resolved.
Khodai added that “We have had a meeting with Rosselkhoznadzor [Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance] and have reached an understanding. On October 5, I hope, we will meet again in Iran; a delegation from Rosselkhoznadzor will visit our country, and we will be able to register about 10-12 companies for the right to export to Russia.”
About 20 Iranian companies are currently registered for supplies of fish to Russia, which purchases mainly shrimp and trout. Iran is a leading global producer of rainbow trout, operating thousands of cold-water aquafarms nationwide with an annual production capacity approaching 200,000 tons. Overall, Iran exports fish and seafood to 67 countries around the world despite sanctions, with Russia the third largest importer after Iraq and China. The fish catch in Iran exceeds 800,000 tonnes per annum, while aquaculture production stands at over 700,000 tonnes.
Iran has a trade agreement with Russia via the Eurasian Economic Union.
