Mid-August showing new trends on Russia's frozen seafood market
Mid-August 2009 has been showing new trends on Russia's frozen seafood market such as strengthening prices for pollock and large versus price decreases for a number of fish products, analysts of www.fishnet-russia.com (www.fishnet.ru) concluded after analyzing the current situation on the market.
More specifically, the prices have been decreasing for salmon caviar and roe, pink salmon, Norwegian salmon and small-sized herring.
Catch
As per 12 August 2009 Russia's harvest of aquatic biological resources in the current year 2009 amounted to 2.155 million tonnes, 211,000 tonnes up on the corresponding result of last year. The take-up of the TACs amounted to 54.3%, 10.4% up on last year. As for the Russian Far East Basin the total harvest amounted to 1.394 million tonnes, 137,000 tonnes up on last year with the TACs covered at 53%.
In the country's North Fisheries Basin the harvest exceeded the last year result by 92,000 tonnes and amounted to 308,000 tonnes or 56% of the TAC. In the Baltic Sea the total harvest amounted to 28,700 tonnes, 4100 tonnes up on 2008. The take-up amounted to 44.6% of the TAC.
In the Azov-Black Sea Basin the total harvest amounted to 23,700 tonnes (+4000 tonnes) with the TACs covered at 10%.
In the Caspian Basin the total harvest of aquatic species amounted to 24,200 tonnes (+8000 tonnes, take-up 36.8%).
In the foreign EEZ the quota take-up amounted to 248,000 tonnes, 14,000 tonnes up on last year. In the convention areas and in the international waters of the World Ocean the harvest amounted to 127,000 tonnes, 48,000 tonnes down on last year.
Official developments
On the second week of August 2009 Russia's PM Vladimir Putin signed a government order on a new agreement on cooperation of Russia and Venezuela in the sphere of fisheries.
In the meantime, Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Rosselkhoznadzor has published lists of approved seafood plants from the following countries: Sweden, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Ecuador. Besides, the Russian vets extended validity of earlier issued seafood import permits for Kazakhstan and the USA until 1 November 2009.
On the same week the Russian veterinary body signed a memo on food and biological safety of seafood meant for export from India to Russia.
From 9 to 20 August 2009 the Chinese delegation from General of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of PRC will come to Russia for inspection aimed at confirming compliance of wild and farmed fish products with the Chinese vet and hygiene requirements.
Other
Departure of the first fast train with seafood cargos from the Russian Far East became another important development of mid-August 2009. The train left the RFE in the night from 5 to 6 August 2009 to cover the distance of about 7500 km to Yekaterinburg (the Urals region) in 8 days (versus regular 17 days).