Top Estonia Fish Catches

Estonia’s fishing industry has long been integral to its coastal culture and economy, with the Baltic Sea, Lake Peipus, and numerous inland waters providing rich fishing grounds. The top fish catches in Estonia include Baltic herring, sprat, perch, pike-perch, and cod, with Baltic herring and sprat dominating commercial landings. Historically, fishing in Estonia dates back centuries, thriving under Hanseatic trade and later Soviet-era industrialization, which saw the expansion of trawler fleets and fish processing. Today, the industry is modernized and regulated under EU policies, focusing on sustainability and export, with much of the catch processed for both domestic consumption and international markets, particularly in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe.

Rank	Fish Species	Metric Tons
1	European sprat	27,552
2	Atlantic herring	25,314
3	Northern prawn	11,282
4	Atlantic redfishes nei	2,018
5	European perch	1,627
6	European smelt	817
7	Atlantic cod	783
8	Freshwater bream	759
9	Pike-perch	508
10	Roach	505
11	Greenland halibut	495
12	Amer. plaice(=Long rough dab)	431
13	Red forkweed	380
14	Round goby	206
15	Northern pike	173
16	Garfish	163
17	Silver hake	142
18	European flounder	131
19	Vimba bream	89
20	Orfe(=Ide)	86
21	Prussian carp	62
22	European eel	53
23	Vendace	46
24	Fourhorn sculpin	35
25	Atlantic halibut	31
27	White bream	29
27	Eelpout	29
27	Burbot	29
29	River lamprey	27
29	European whitefish	27
31	Sea trout	23
32	Raja rays nei	19
33	Ruffe	16
33	Tench	16
35	Atlantic salmon	10
36	Rudd	5
36	Crucian carp	5
38	Roughhead grenadier	3
39	Three-spined stickleback	2
39	Witch flounder	2
41	Noble crayfish	1
41	Goldfish	1

Data from FAO. 2025. Global Capture Production. In: Fisheries and Aquaculture.