Russian Surimi Production Increased by 40% to 30,000 mt

The Alaska pollock fishing season (Season A) in the Sea of Okhotsk, Russia’s primary fishing ground, concluded on April 9th. According to the Pollock Catchers Association (PCA) in Vladivostok, the catch during the A season, spanning from January 1st to April 9th, reached 830,000 mt, marking a 3% increase compared to the same period last year. Approximately 87% of the total allowable catch (TAC) in the sea has been utilized. Surimi production experienced a notable surge of 40%, reaching 30,000 tons.

Across all regions of the Far Eastern basin, the total pollock catch surpassed 1.05 million tons, reflecting an 8.6% increase compared to the previous year.

PCA reports indicate that pollock product manufacturing followed a similar pattern to last year, with Russian fishermen maintaining production volumes of fillet and minced meat at last year’s levels, totaling approximately 60 thousand tons. Meanwhile, marine surimi production continued to rise, increasing by nearly 40% to 30,000 mt during the 2024 “A” season. Overall, frozen pollock production rose by 7% to 397,000 mt.

Source: seafood.media

Russian Fisherman Caught over 5.3 mln mt of Fish in 2023

In 2023, Russian fishermen caught over 5.3 million mt of fish, marking the highest figure recorded in the past three decades. This announcement was made by Ilya Shestakov, the Head of The Federal Agency for Fishery (Rosrybolovstvo). Shestakov emphasized Russia’s commendable level of fish self-sufficiency, which stands at over 150%, indicating the country’s capacity to meet its domestic demand for fish products.

Source: tass.com

Fish Import Volumes to Russia Decreased by 9% in January-November 2016

As of December 29, according to the preliminary data from the Russian Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat), the volume of fish production in Russia rose by 2.6% in January-November 2016 compared to the same period of 2015, and reached 3.613 million MT.

Export volumes of fish and fish products from Russia amounted to 1.76 million MT in January-November 2016, which is 7% more than during the same period of 2015. According to the preliminary data of Federal Customs Service of Russia, pollock has the biggest share of export: its export volumes increased by 3.4% up to 730,600 MT in January-November. At the same time, the exports of frozen herring decreased by 21.2% to 86,200 MT, while the total catch of all kinds of herring (Pacific, Atlantic, Baltic) grew by 10% up to 401,200 MT in January-November.

Fish fillet exports from Russia grew by 15.2% up to 105,900 MT, exports of finished and canned products also rose by 18.2% up to 14,300 MT.

According to Rosstat preliminary data, in January-November 2016, the volume of imports of fish products decreased by 8.7% compared to the same period in 2015 and amounted to 455,900 MT. The volume of frozen capelin imports dropped by 66.6% to 9,700 MT,  imports of frozen herring – by 37% to 29,800 MT, imports of frozen salmon – by 22% to 41,800 MT.

At the same time, the imports of frozen trout increased by 27.4% up to 9,300 MT, and imports of frozen mackerel – by 24.1% up to 68,500 MT.

www.fish.gov.ru

Russian catch grew by 5.1% and reached 3.9 million MT from the beginning of the year

As of October 19, 2016, the total Russian catch totaled 3,892,100 MT, that is 190,000 MT or 5.1% more than last year.

Russian Far East basin catch is 231,900 MT more than the last year catch – 2,657,800 MT. Pollock catch increased by 57,000 MT and reached 1,505.300 MT.

The total catch in the Northern basin increased by 5,200 MT and amounted 473,300 MT. Cod catch was 333,100 MT, which is more 13,900 MT than last year catch.

Azov-Black Sea catch was 74,600 MT, which is more 8,400 MT than last year catch. Baltic Sea catch was 8,900 MT more – 58,000 MT. Catches of Baltic herring increased by 1,700 MT and reached 19,000 MT. The total catch of aquatic bioresources in the Caspian basin was 42,200 MT, which is less than last year by 2,700 MT. Catch of freshwater fish amounted to 18,000 MT, which is 2,300 MT less than last year.

www.fish.gov.ru

Russian fish catch increased by 5.9% since the beginning of the year up to 3.765 million MT

As of October 4, 2016, the total catch of the Russian fishery industry was 3,765,770 MT, which is 211,000 MT or 5.9% more than during the same period last year.

In the Russian Far East the production volume increased by 242,680 MT and reached 2,588,480 MT. Pollock catch increased by 61,700 MT up to 1,480,200 MT. Herring catch increased by 42,400 MT – up to 216,200 MT.

The total catch in the northern basin was 456,750 MT, which is 8,540 MT more than last year’s catch during the same period. Cod catch increased by 15,500 MT and reached 325,200 MT. Catches of haddock increased by 25,700 MT – up to 92,400 MT.

In the Azov-Black Sea basin the catch is 9 MT more – in total 74,300 MT. In the Baltic Sea the production grew by 9,340 MT and reached 55,630 MT. The total catch in the Caspian basin is 35,410 MT, which is 3,470 MT less than last year.

www.fish.gov.ru

Import of fish and seafood to Russia decreased by 12% during 7 month of 2016

According to preliminary data from the Russian Statistics Service, during seven months of 2016, the volumes of imports of fish products to the Russian Federation decreased by 12% (37,000 MT) compared to the same period of 2015 and amounted to 271,600 MT. Import of frozen capelin decreased by 67.9% – to 8,600 MT, import of frozen herring deceased by 50.2% – to 11,700 MT, import of frozen salmon deceased by 3.3% – to 25,300 MT, import of frozen mackerel dropped by 28.2% – to 31,800 tons. Meanwhile import of frozen trout almost doubled – up to 6,800 MT.

The structure of imports of fish and seafood to Russia consists of frozen fish (54.5%), prepared or preserved fish products (14.4%), fish fillets and other fish meat (11.2%), crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates (11%), fresh or chilled fish (4.5%).

www.fish.gov.ru

Reorganization of Russian aquaculture to attract new money

The Russian aquaculture sector is to receive a cash injection of 260 million roubles up to 2017 to support scientific development. The new money comes as part of a general reorganization of the aquaculture industry in Russia.

The reorganization of the industry will see more powers devolved to the regions and the inland water bodies. The meeting heard that over the last two years the fisheries’ agency has been overseeing the implementation of new laws for a new legal framework for the sector.

The new powers cover the delimitation of aquaculture sites and the organisation of auctions for the rights for hatchery sites as well as monitoring the implementation of these agreements.

The Russian Fishery Agency said that this would allow the regions to facilitate the development of aquaculture.

The new regulations also cover water licences and contracts and land contracts.

The head of the Fishery Agency, Ilya Shestakov, said that many of the regions had not yet establish a regional aquaculture programme for the development of marketable products and he called on them to speed up the process.

However, the regional authorities said that they had encountered problems over the protection of property rights and the expansion of the composition of species in aquaculture farms and well as the use of intensive technology and concerns over the epizootic risks.

There were further concerns over the way the new regulations were being implemented to integrate the water bodies into the programme and the way state support for insurance and the expansion of work in the fields of selection and breeding was being put in place

To ensure the new laws are implemented smoothly, the ministry of agriculture and the fisheries’ agency said that the moves would be supported by subsidised short-term and long-term loans – a move that had been started in 2015.

“Today, companies are showing an active interest in this state instrument. However, there are problems with the borrowing of funds. Banks are reluctant to make loans to the sector,” said Mr Shestakov. He said the lack of interest from the banks was because of concern over a lack of activity in the sector and fears of poor returns.

He said that the Russian Fishery Agency had held a number of meetings with representatives of financial and credit institutions to develop more flexible lending to commercial farms.

Already, this year eight projects worth 4.2 billion roubles have been allocated subsidies of about 200 million roubles.

Mr Shestakov said that it was also necessary to look at other ways of attracting new credit resources into the aquaculture sector. He added that 260 million roubles will be made available to the sector, 30 million or 13 per cent more than in 2015 to support the research institutes.

The fisheries’ agency is backing research across the aquaculture sector and in fish feed production as well as providing scientific support to new aquaculture projects

“The resumption of targeted funding in the field of aquaculture research will create a qualitatively new scientific base to sustained growth in the production of fishery products,” said Mr Shestakov.

“Today, we are working together with the industry and the business community on the realisation trends and the expansion of research in this area.”

www.thefishsite.com

Development of aquaculture sector in Russia

Development of the aquaculture sector in Russia is far below its potential. Current annual production is estimated at 160,000 MT, or three to four percent of total fish and seafood production in Russia. Russia’s share of world aquaculture production is estimated at only 0.2 percent. Lack of government support, outdated equipment and production technologies, as well as a deficit in feed, are major constraints to further development of the sector.

www.fas.usda.gov

In 2015, the fish catch increased by 5% in Russia

In 2015, the fish catch increased be 5% in Russia. According to Ilya Shestakov, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation and Head of the Federal Agency for Fishery, the catch of the Pacific and Atlantic herring increased by 4% up to 427,000 MT, the catch of sprats – by 62.5% up to 104,000 MT, the catch of shrimp – by 17% up to 14,400 MT, the catch of mackerel – by 10% up to 212,000 MT. As of December 23 the total catch was 4.33 million tons of fish, which is 5% more than the same date last year.

Shestakov also said that the supply of products to the domestic market increased by 220,000 MT compared to 2014 which helped partly compensate the lack of fish and seafood caused by the Russian food ban. In particular, the volume of herring, supplied to the domestic market, rose by 72% compared to 2014 – in total, more than 230,000 MT, the volume of pollock increased by 26% to 241,000 MT.

www.finmarket.ru

Changes in Russian fishing industry in 2015

This year russian fishing industry will face serious changes. Russian fishermen have to fill the space on local shelves after the ban on the import of seafood.

In Rosrybolovstvo (Federal Agency for Fishery) can stimulate producers to sell the catch inside the country using administrative measures.

From 22 to 28 af April 2015 Rosrybolovstvo together with Moscow government for the first time hold in Moscow a “fish week”. The main idea is to turn russian buyers on the domestic fish and to bring together suppliers and sellers of fish products.

“For us it is important that local fish comes into the Russian market,” – said the head of Federal Agency for Fishery Ilya Shestakov.

This year generally the catch is just 4% higher than previous year, mainly because of good catch in Far East basin, in the Northern basing the situation is worse because of bad weather and the reduction of quotas for some species.

In previous years Russian fishermen has lost their positions in the Russian market and has been sending their catch to the export. And now the shelves are empty and Rosrybolovsto tries to turn the catch back inside the country.

The problem is not only the interest of fishermen – to sell more expensive – but also retailers are used to get large quantities of nice packaged imported fish that is able to compete for the buyer with the meat products. And there is also economic interest of transport companies that prefer to move the product that is paid more.

And now, after the ruble has lost its positions fishermen has more motivation to ship abroad to receive foreign currency. Domestic prices for fish increase following the foreign prices. But no one is interested in fact that food prices are rising too quickly.

The head of Federal Agency for Fishery doesn’t rule out the adoption of administrative measures to reduce the export of fish (such as increase of export duties on fish that will make it unprofitable).

In addition, this year Rosrybolovstvo promises to solve the problem with transportation. For certain types of fish they plan to introduce subsidies and reduce tariffs for transportation in refrigerated containers.

www.tks.ru