Overview of freshfrozen fish market of Saint Petersburg and other regions as per mid-December 2007

On the threshold of the New Year celebrations the prices have been fluently growing for the table fish such as cod, haddock and saithe and for salmon species (Atlantiс salmon and trout). As per 18 December 2007 the fishing season was about to close and the fleets were already preparing to leave for the bases. The wholesalers will sell fish until 25 December 2007, while the excitement in the retail chains will last until the end of the month. Along with the above there have been some other new developments (like surging squid prices) on the market of St. Petersburg, Russia's main entry port for imported seafood, trading sources told http://www.fishnet-russia.com/ (https://www.fishnet.ru/).

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

As per mid-December 2007 freshfrozen herring in Norway was getting smaller in size and Saint-Petersburg traders mostly offered Norwegian herring from RUB24.00 per kilo of the size 200-300 and from RUB26.00 for the size 300+.

Norwegian herring of the size 350+ from the October harvest was offered from RUB32.50 per kilo as per 18 December 2007 with the price expected to grow to RUB34.00-35.00 per kilo in the coming weeks.

Norwegian herring 400+ was marketed from RUR43.00 per kilo.

Baltic herring, Baltic sprat

The market supply of high quality Baltic sprat remained low with the fish prices starting from RUB17.50 per kilo.

Finnish herring was sold from RUB19.50 per kilo of the size 12-15 cm and from RUB22.00 per kilo of the size 15-17 cm.

Mackerel

Freshfrozen mackerel head-on was available from RUB63.00 per kilo of the size 400-600 and the same product from Scotland was offered from RUB59.00.

Hake

Canadian hake 300-500 appreciated from RUB61.00 to RUB65.00 per kilo as per 18 December 2007.

Cod

Headed cod 1.5-2 also appreciated from RUB77.00 to RUB90.00 per kilo.

Squid

The situation on the squid market was very tight as there was a very poor supply of the species from the Russian Far East resulting into a shortage of the product on the market.

As per 18 December 2007 the Russian squid prices rose to RUB100.00 per kilo, while Argentinean squid of approximately the same quality was priced up to RUB60.00-65.00 per kilo. Chilean squid appreciated from RUB40.00 to 50.00-55.00 per kilo.

Pink salmon

In the first half of December 2007 prices for Atlantic salmon and trout slightly grew.

Norwegian Atlantic salmon 8-9 SUPER was offered from RUB185.00 per kilo.

Norwegian Atlantic salmon 7-8 gutted SUPER was traded from RUB178.00 per kilo.

Norwegian trout headed 1.7-2.7 was marketed from RUB150.00 per kilo.

Wholesale prices ex-coldstore in Vladivostok, dateline 18 December 2007

Wholesale prices ex-coldstore in Saint Petersburg, dateline 18 December 2007