Crayfish from Australia, sturgeons with potential: an unusual aquafarm has appeared near Mykolaiv

Mykhailo Stepanov turned his interest in aquaculture into his own business

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16 Jun 2026

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In the village of Slyvyne in Mykolaiv Oblast, local entrepreneur Mykhailo Stepanov has turned his passion for aquaculture into a promising private business. Today his farm raises over 5,000 Australian red-claw crayfish and about 40 sturgeons.

This was reported by the State Agency for Land Reclamation and Fisheries of Ukraine.

The agency notes that Mykhailo Stepanov’s example demonstrates the potential of Ukrainian aquaculture even in the format of a small farm. It’s not only about growing aquatic bioresources for personal consumption, but also about promoting modern approaches to such an enterprise.

The idea to create an aquafarm arose a few years ago during a conversation with friends. After studying different species of crustaceans, the entrepreneur settled on the Australian red-claw crayfish. This species attracted him by its rapid growth rate and taste qualities.

The entrepreneur explained that the idea began from a simple everyday situation – the high price of crayfish and the desire to try to grow them himself.

“It started when we were sitting in a bar, ordered crayfish, the price was inexplicably high, and we thought we should do something and try to grow them. I searched the internet, started asking around. Our local crayfish grow very slowly, really, 6-7 years to reach a more-or-less normal size. And I found out that there are crayfish like the Australian ones, they grow to market size in half a year,” – said Mykhailo Stepanov.

Currently the juveniles are raised in specially created conditions. During the warm season they stay in the pond, and in winter they are moved to a facility with controlled water temperature.

According to the owner, the water needs to warm to roughly 24-26 degrees Celsius, after which the crayfish can be released into the pond. In autumn the reared individuals are harvested.

The farm pays special attention to feeding. For crayfish it is important to maintain a stable feeding regime, as this helps reduce natural cannibalism among the specimens.

The core of the diet is fresh sea fish, in particular sprat (sala). They also use balanced vitamin supplements. Thanks to this feeding, the juveniles quickly gain weight and reach market condition within just a few months.

The entrepreneur also spoke separately about feeding specifics: in his opinion, crayfish can eat different food, however for normal growth they need protein.

“Mainly sprat, because it is lean and does not spoil the water. That is our, so to speak, conclusion — we came up with it. Many guys feed them absolutely anything, these crayfish eat everything. Well, they will grow, obviously only on protein: from fish, from meat. People throw in eggs, liver, in short, we try not to overcomplicate things,” – noted Mykhailo Stepanov.

At the same time the entrepreneur is learning to breed sturgeons. According to him, these fish are less demanding to keep and show good growth rates.

The farm also keeps representatives of the kaluga species. In the future they may become the basis for further production expansion.

The State Fisheries Agency emphasizes that the entrepreneur’s experience from Slyvyne confirms the significant potential of Ukrainian aquaculture. Even a small farm can effectively use local resources, produce quality products, and demonstrate a modern approach to cultivating aquatic bioresources.