Decline of salmon catches behind rise of product prices in Russia
Decline of salmon catches in 2010 has resulted into a rise of salmon prices in Russia. Pink salmon has been appreciating in the USA as well, though this year the US fishermen have reported larger catches of the species, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/ (https://www.fishnet.ru/) with reference to Interfax.
According to President of the Union of Fishermen of the Russian Far East Dmitry Dremluga, the current year has turned out to be non rich in salmons. The salmon harvest has dropped by 40% on the record high last year when the fishermen harvested 540,000 tonnes.
The market has immediately reacted by a dramatic rise of prices. Pink salmon has been available at wholesale prices of RUR95.00-110.00 per kilo versus RUR45.00-50.00 per kilo one year earlier, chum salmon has been marketed in wholesale chain at RUR105.00-125.00 per kilo. As per early December 2010 standard 140-gram salmon caviar can costs ca.RUR300.00, while that time last year it cost RUR100.00 only.
According to Dremluga, this year the salmon record race has been caught up by the USA. The total value of salmon harvested in 2010 is estimated at 590 million USD versus 470 million USD in 2009.
Efficiency of salmon fishery in Alaska in 2010 has turned out to be 28% higher than in 2009. Only on pink salmon grounds the fishermen have earned 13 million USD, the highest result for 1975, Dremluga said with reference to US experts.
However, in the USA prices for salmon have not yet showed a downward trend. Landing prices of pink salmon have increased to 1.46 USD per kilo (+16%), Chinook salmon has appreciated by 25% to 7.64 USD, coho salmon - by 13% to 2.33 USD, sockeye - by 23% to 2.46 USD and chum salmon by 35% to 0.77 USD per kilo. According to experts, the price rise has been due to a stronger demand for salmons in retail trade which has demonstrated total proceeds of such sales of 507 million USD through the three summer months, 30.5% up on the respective results of 2009.
Experts say that world prices for salmon will not go up. Their stability will be backed by the crisis in the world largest farmed salmon producer Chile, the crisis caused by fish epidemics and destruction of farm infrastructure as a result of a major earthquake happened in February 2010.