Herring and blue whiting making main news on Saint Petersburg freshfrozen fish market

As per mid-November 2006 the freshfrozen fish market in St. Petersburg has seen considerable ripples from surging blue whiting prices and falling prices for herring, trading sources told RFR.

Below follow more details on particular species with average prices given as ex-coldstore VAT inclusive for quantities of between 1-10 metric tons unless specified otherwise.

Freshfrozen herring

The situation on the freshfrozen herring market of Saint Petersburg in October 2006 was marked by falling prices in Norway, while the Russian herring was characterized by stable prices, because herring 300+ was actually more than 350 grams on the average.

Herring 400+, Norway, was offered from RUR41.00 per kilo FCA Saint Petersburg harbor with the price sometimes falling to RUR39.50.

In mid-November 2006 the fleets kept harvesting herring 350+ and the prices for the product fell from RUR33.50 to RUR29.50 FCA. In general, the falling price trend may be attributed to good catches of herring of the above size.

Poorly graded herring 200-300 classified by the Russians as large and fat was marketed from RUR16.50 per kilo in Saint Petersburg, while Russian herring 300+ was offered from RUR26.00 per kilo ex-coldstore in Saint Petersburg. Norwegian herring of the same size was traded from RUR25.00 per kilo.

In the recent months Russian and Norwegian veterinary authorities have been discussing the issues connected with imports of Norwegian seafood to Russia. So far restrictions have touched only salmon species, the import procedure for pelagic species has not been changed.

Mackerel

Norwegian mackerel 400-600 from the September harvest was sold from RUR62.50 FCA and ex-coldstore, while the size 600+ was offered from RUR85.00 per kilo. Russian mackerel head-off 300+ was marketed from RUR75.00 per kilo ex-coldstore.

Unlike last year traders have not offered Scottish mackerel yet.

Baltic herring, Baltic sprat

Latvian and Estonian fish fit for canning was not offered in Saint Petersburg as per 14 November 2006.

Finnish herring packed in pallets fetched from RUR16.00 per kilo in Saint Petersburg.

Similar product packed in boxes was offered from RUR17.00 per kilo.

Product appreciation could be explained by short supply on the market and poor catches at the start of the season.

Blue whiting

Due to the fact that other quotas had already been covered, many Russia ships preferred to leave the grounds in the Norwegian EEZ without exhausting their quotas rather than work with losses.

Many vessels of the Moonsund type did not cover their quotas therefore the non-satisfied demand for blue whiting and poor fishery on the grounds of polar cod Boreogadus saida pushed prices dramatically up.

More specifically, prices for the product in Murmansk increased from RUR11.00 per kilo in the last ten days of October nearly to RUR18.00 as per 13 November.

The Russian fleet did not enter the Faroese fishing zone due to unprofitability of the fishery and small catches. Thus, in the coming weeks the situation on the blue whiting market will hardly improve.

Taking into account that next landings are expected in early February, up through that moment the blue whiting prices will most probably remain high, if there are no fairly cheap offers of blue whiting imported from other countries.

Wholesale prices for blue whiting products in Murmansk, dateline 13 November 2006

Source: Fish Resources

Atlantic salmon and trout

Restrictions for import of Atlantic salmon and trout from Norway to Russia have pushed prices for the products up.

Besides, prices in the holiday turn-of-the-year season will hardly be too low. Most probably, they will increase. The closer to the New Year celebrations, the more fish traders will ship only to order due to high demand with nearly no spot quantities to be available on the market.

As per 14 November, trout 1.8-2.7 was offered from RUR185.00 per kilo, while Atlantic salmon 5-6 was available from RUR210.00 per kilo.

Along with the above, traders kept offering Chilean salmon at prices 5-8% down on those for corresponding Norwegian products.

Wholesale prices in Saint Petersburg, dateline 13 November 2006

Wholesale prices in Vladivostok, dateline 13 November 2006