What conditions and requirements are imposed on aquaculture in Belarus – told in the Ministry of agriculture

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food commented on the main provisions of the Law of the Republic of Belarus of October 21, 2026 No. 176-Z “On Aquaculture (Fishing)”. This is reported by sb.by with reference to the National Legal Internet Portal of the Republic of Belarus.

It is noted that the legal act is aimed at the comprehensive regulation of public relations in the field of aquaculture, the creation of favorable conditions for the implementation of this type of activity, the definition of its legal, economic and organizational foundations, as well as the formation of a regulatory legal framework aimed at increasing production volumes and providing the population with high-quality protein products of domestic production.

The law introduced the conceptual apparatus, previously absent in the republic: aquaculture, fish-breeding infrastructure, fish-technological substantiation, pasture and industrial aquaculture, closed water supply installations and others. In particular, aquaculture is defined as activities related to the cultivation and maintenance, cultivation of aquaculture objects in artificial conditions. Commercial aquaculture is carried out in order to obtain marketable products, pasture - using the natural feed base, industrial - using special technical means and artificial feed.

The law defines the legal basis of state policy in the field of aquaculture, the principles of its implementation, objects and subjects of relations. Separate articles enshrine the powers of the President, the Council of Ministers, local Councils of Deputies, local executive and administrative bodies. The Ministry of Agriculture is empowered to determine the procedure for applying mineral fertilizers and lime to water bodies, to establish the republican list of ponds and watered quarries suitable for fish farming, to determine the procedure for development and requirements for the content of fishery and technological substantiation.

Despite the fact that aquaculture does not apply to agriculture, the Law officially stipulates that fish-farming organizations engaged in commercial aquaculture are subjects of agro-industrial production.

The law establishes conditions and requirements for the implementation of aquaculture. In particular, fish-breeding organizations are obliged to carry out a set of measures to introduce lime and mineral fertilizers into ponds for commercial aquaculture, create favorable conditions in accordance with environmental standards for recreational aquaculture, and legal entities in the planning of industrial aquaculture should develop a fish-water and technological justification. The introduction of planting material into water bodies not used for aquaculture is carried out on the basis of a fish-biological substantiation with a positive conclusion of the state environmental expertise. The introduction of invasive alien species and genetically engineered organisms into such water bodies is prohibited. These requirements do not apply to individuals engaged in aquaculture for personal needs in ponds-digging on the land plots provided to them.

Depending on the completion of the cycle, fish-breeding organizations may be full-system and non-full-system. Full-system include legal entities engaged in the full cycle of aquaculture, and tribal farms. To non-complete systems - fish nurseries and flattened farms.

Violation of legislation in the field of aquaculture entails liability established by legislative acts. The main provisions of the Law will come into force one year after the official publication. BOAR continues stocking of reservoirs - the next batches of fish released in Pinsk and Polotsk districts