RoundGoby featured on Latvian TV

In a news item on the public broadcasting network Latvian Television. Loreta Rozenfelde and Eriks Kurze, both working actively in the project are talk about opportunities and challenges around round goby in Latvia.

Every year, local fishermen haul in several hundred tonnes of goby and it’s the second most caught fish in Latvia, right behind the Baltic herring. Despite initial excitement when the species first appeared, the goby never found its place on Latvian tables. “There was a lot of expectation when the big catches started coming in,” said Ēriks Krūze, Head of Bior’s Marine Division. “But it all fell apart. Tourists still prefer smoked haddock.”

Instead, most of the fish is shipped abroad. In Ukraine and Bulgaria, the round goby is considered a delicacy, a staple in both kitchens and restaurants. “It’s a national fish with high market value,” explained researcher Loreta Rozenfelde. “The Black Sea market pays well, especially since gobies from the Baltic grow larger than those back home.”

The irony isn’t lost on scientists: Latvia is exporting a fish that could be a cheap, healthy addition to local diets. Tests by the Bior Research Institute show goby meat is safe, lean, and nutritious, containing just 1% fat but a hefty 17% protein. “Round goby is very healthy to consume,” said Iveta Pugajeva, head of Bior’s Chemistry Laboratory Group.

With the species firmly entrenched in Baltic waters, experts say it’s time to stop seeing goby as a pest and start treating it as an opportunity. The challenge ahead? Convincing Latvians to embrace a fish that, for now, is more popular abroad than at home.

Watch the full TV report (in Latvian) and the original article (in English) here: