Fish industry news
For 10 months of 2023, the import of fish products to the Russian market reached 465 thousand tons worth $ 1.9 billion. In weight, imports are 26% higher year-on-year, and in money — by 15%, according to the Analytical Center of the Fish Union. This dynamic is mainly due to the effect of the low base last spring.
The Chinese authorities have allowed the supply of wild fish from Russia.
In January-September 2023 Russian finfish and other seafood imports jumped by 36% in value and 48% in volume year-on-year, according to the recent market analysis of Defa group – a fish and seafood supplier based in Saint Petersburg.
China’s General Customs Administration has expanded the list of Russian seafood entities approved for export to the country.
By October 3, 2023, the volume of Pacific salmon production in the Russian Far East exceeded 600 thousand metric tons — the catch has already surpassed the results of several recent years.
Rosselkhoznadzor and the Main Customs Administration of the People's Republic of China signed a protocol to expand the list of fish products that can be supplied from Russia to China.
Russia has noticeably increased supplies of surimi (raw material for crab sticks) to China and South Korea as a result of consumer saving trend. The USA is the leading supplier of surimi to Asia, but lower prices let Russia win some of its competitor’s market share.
By August 22, 2023, the Pacific salmon catch in Russia reached 545 thousand tons - 16.4% up on last odd year 2021 and 2.7 times fold on 2022. Last year by August 22 the Russian fishermen harvested 202.6 thousand tonnes of salmon.
In January-June 2023 Russian finfish and other seafood imports jumped by 54% year-on-year, both in value and in volume, according to the recent market analysis of Defa group – a fish and seafood supplier based in Saint Petersburg.
All-Russian Association of Fisheries Enterprises, Entrepreneurs and Exporters (VARPE) has completed the analysis of export supplies of Russian fish products in key markets in the first quarter of 2023.
By June 21, 2023, the total catch of Pacific salmons in the Far East exceeded 3.6 thousand metric tons, plus 43% on the corresponding result of the odd year 2021.
The current condition of the fish stocks make the Russian scientists recommend higher allowable catches of Alaska pollock and herring in the Far East Basin in 2024 — such optimistic forecast was given by Evgeny Ovsyannikov representing the Pacific branch of VNIRO fishery research institute at a scientific and practical forum in Vladivostok.
X5 Group, the leading food retail company in Russia, held a meeting with the Fish Union which unites Russian seafood producers and processors.
Russian fishery scientists forecast that this year Kamchatka will contribute 75 percent of the total salmon catch in the nation's Far Eastern basin.
On May 15, 2023, dedicated Alaska pollock fishery took off in the West Bering Sea zone. The total allowable catch in the area has been approved at 612 thousand metric tons — +53 thousand MT year-on-year and record strong for the past 15 years. According to estimates of the Pollock Catchers Association (PCA), the TAC can be covered by 85-90%.
The coastal facilities in the Russian Far East can process up to one million metric tons of Alaska pollock. In particular, the Kuril Islands show a great processing potential.
A new large wholesale distribution center with a coldstore will be built in the Solnechnogorsk city district (Moscow region).
Vlaidostok-led Primorskiy Krai Territory will raise its coldstorage capacity by 37,000 metric tons with a new wholesale distribution center that is being built now.
One of Russia’s biggest fishery holdings Norebo is going to refuse the services of Northern Shipyard (Severnaya Verf) in St. Petersburg (part of the State United Shipbuilding Corporation, USC) to complete the construction of its four trawlers at its own shipyard.
Russian Largest Transport and Logistics Company – FESCO Transportation Group – for the first time in the nation’s history delivered live crab from Moscow to Vladivostok in an innovative aquacontainer.