MOSCOW, August 24. /TASS/. Russia and Thailand have agreed to cooperate to increase the production of valuable seafood in both countries, the Russian Federal Fisheries Agency said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Russia and Thailand will cooperate to develop the production of valuable seafood. Representatives of the Federal Fisheries Agency and the Department of Fisheries of Thailand agreed on this at a meeting that took place on August 23 at the Federal Fisheries Agency via video conference," the statement says.

According to the department, specialists from Thailand have more than thirty years of experience in breeding and growing a dozen species of marine hydrobionts, but they also show great interest in Russia's experience in this area and in the exchange of scientific developments.

Representatives of the Federal Fisheries Agency shared the results of their work in growing seafood: over the past five years, Russia has gradually increased the production of valuable hydrobionts by 7.5 times.

The agency notes that the total volume of cultivation of valuable seafood (mollusks - mussel, oyster, scallop, trepang; echinoderms - sea urchin; seaweed - kelp; etc.) in 2021 amounted to 58,700 tonnes against 7,700 tonnes in 2016. At the end of 2021, the valuable seafood segment reached almost 20% of the total commercial aquaculture production, which amounted to 356,600 tonnes.

According to the results of the second quarter of 2022, the volume of commercial aquaculture production in Russia increased by 2.2% compared to the same period in 2021 and reached 215,600 tonnes. The production of valuable aquatic organisms increased by 8.5%, to 35,600 tonnes, including scallops - by 9.6%, to 18,500 tonnes, mussels - by 16.6%, to 3,600 tonnes, sea urchins - by 34%, up to 3,240 tonnes, crayfish - twice, up to 44 tonnes. Almost 3,700 tonnes of oysters have been grown.