Fish

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

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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

Russia Bans All U.S. Food Imports and E.U. Fruits and Vegetables

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Yesterday, the President of the Russian Federation signed an Executive Order On Applying Certain Special Economic Measures to Ensure the Security of the Russian Federation. This basically means an embargo on importing entire categories of products from those countries which have declared economic sanctions against Russian organisations and individuals.

Russia has completely banned the importation of beef, pork, fruits and vegetables, poultry, fish, cheese, milk and dairy products from the European Union, the United States, Australia, Canada and the Kingdom of Norway.

These restrictions shall be introduced starting today, and for a period of 12 months. But, if Russia’s partners display a constructive approach towards cooperation issues, then the Government would be willing to revise the specific implementation deadlines for these measures.

www.government.ru

Ukraine banned sweets, fish and cheese from Russia

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Ukrainian Government Consumer Inspection banned a range of Russian products such as: confectionary by “Krasny Oktyabr”, “Rot Front”, “Russky Shokolad”, and “Babayevsky”, herring and canned fish from Kaliningrad region by “Vichunay-Rus” and “Roskon”, and cheese products by “Laktalis Istra”.

Now these products are being removed from sale due to their incompliance with Ukrainian law. According to the results of the inspection it emerged that Russian products are being sold in contrary to the Ukrainian law “About safety and quality of food products” (section 38), the law “About the protection of consumers’ rights” (sections 15, 19) and the Rules of food products marking.

“Currently Ukrainian Government Consumer Inspection takes all measures to remove pointed out Russian products from hypermarkets and major chains of supermarkets”, – it is said in the official web-page of Ukrainian Government Consumer Inspection.

www.ria.ru

Salmon from Primorye can substitute European salmon

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According to Aleksandr Vaskov, the vice president of Primorye fishery producers Association, the consumption of salmon in Primorye is less than overall catch.

“Salmon from Primorye can substitute European salmon in Central and Western Russia. The quality of Primorye salmon is no worse than Norwegian one, for example. Our salmon is environmentally safe. Moreover, the geographical location of Primorye makes it possible to export to South Korea, China and Japan”, added Alexandr Vaskov.

www.primamedia.ru

Russia might ban meat and dairy products from Norway

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Russia has enhanced control with meat and dairy products from Norway, following a ban on imports of fish from January 1.

The Russian Federal Service for Agricultural Control (Rosselkhoznadzor) does not trust its Norwegian counterpart Mattilsynet to be able to guarantee the safety of food coming from Norway. From January 1 the organization imposed import restrictions on a long list of fish, claiming that Norway’s system for quality control is too lax, which has allowed for low-quality fish to enter the Russian market.

“Because it’s the same organization that gives guarantees not only on fish but also on other regulated products, including milk products and meat, we are forced to enhance control on these sorts of products as well”, said Aleksey Alekseenko, Assistant Manager of Rosselkhoznadzor.

“Subsequently, a failure to produce sufficient state guarantees on the safety of products from Norway can lead to a ban on imports of milk and meat to Russia”, he added.

At the Borisoglebsk border-crossing station between Russian and Norway a sign warning travelers about ban on import of meat and dairy products was put up already in the beginning of December.

www.barentsobserver.com

Russia bans imports of fish and dairy products from Estonia

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On January 9, the Russian Federal Service for Agricultural Control (Rosselkhoznadzor) banned the shipments of dairy and fish products from eleven companies in Estonia.

Sergei Dankvert, the head of the service, said that the decision to restrict the shipments was made following the inspection of dairy and fish companies in Estonia.

The official reason for the move is the absence of required control over the production of raw milk at the companies. In particular, the current system of control does not embrace all necessary groups of antibiotics that are provided in the control rules of the Customs Union.

Meanwhile, milk products from Lithuania are expected to return to Russian stores. The Lithuanian products were absent from the Russian market for almost three months. The ban was introduced by Gennady Onishchenko, the previous head of the Federal Service for Consumer Rights Protection, who was not satisfied with the quality of the Lithuanian milk.

www.english.pravda.ru

US (AK): Proposed 2014 Halibut Catch Down 21 per cent

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The recommendations for next year’s halibut catches are down again for all regions in the USA except Southeast Alaska.

Fishery scientists with the International Pacific Halibut Commission have recommended a 2014 coast wide commercial catch total of 24.45 million pounds, a 21% decrease from the 31 million pounds allowed for this year. That includes catches in Alaska, British Columbia and the Pacific Coast states.

In a summation at a meeting in Seattle last week, the IPHC said: “The results of the 2013 stock assessment indicate that the Pacific halibut stock has been declining continuously over much of the last decade as a result of decreasing size-at-age, as well as recruitment strengths that are much smaller than those observed through the 1980s and 1990s.”

Here are the proposed catch limits for Alaska regions in millions of pounds, compared to the totals from 2013 in parentheses: Southeast Alaska (2C) – 4.16 (2.97); Central Gulf (3A) – 9.43 (11.03); Western Gulf (3B) – 2.84 (4.29); Alaska Peninsula (4A) – 0.85 (1.33); Aleutian Islands region (4B) – 0.82 (1.45); Bering Sea (4CDE) 0.64 (1.94).

Final decisions on the catch limits, season start date and regulation changes will be made by the IPHC at its annual meeting, Jan. 13-17 in Seattle. While the Pacific halibut catches have been declining for decade, the value of the fishery has been on a downward trend for the past four years.

Near the end of each year bills are sent out to Alaska longliners who hold shares of the halibut and sablefish (black cod) catches. They are required to pay an annual fee to the federal government to cover the costs for managing and enforcing those fisheries. The fee, which is capped at three percent, is based on dock prices and averaged across the state.

The billings were mailed out in late November to 2,024 fishermen, 90 fewer than last year, according to Troie Zuniga, fee coordinator for NOAA Fisheries in Juneau.

This year the combined halibut and sablefish fisheries paid a fee of 2.8%, which yielded $5 million for coverage costs.

For halibut, the overall dockside value of the 2013 fishery was $105 million, and about $72 million for black cod.

“That’s about $32 million lower than the 2012 value for halibut and $37 million lower for black cod,” Zuniga said, adding that it reflects a fishery value decline of nearly 28 percent over four years.

In terms of fish prices, the average for halibut this year was $5.06 per pound compared to $5.87 last year; for sablefish, an average price of $2.84 per pound is a drop from $4.11 in 2013.

www.thefishsite.com

Norway chilled salmon became more expensive

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$7.65 per 1 kilogram is the highest price in 10 years for this season, said the Association of produce and trade companies of fish market. In comparison with last year’s same period Norway chilled salmon price increased by 60%. Norway suppliers refer to tough weather conditions – due to them the price of transportation highly increased. As result the price to consumer grew up respectively.

The Association of fish market says that the same factor will also influence the price in future. “In other words, Norwegians will be able to sell fish at a price that does not have any market explanation. That means they can set any price”, – the Association says. Also the Association thinks that the situation worsened due to the lack of competition – now Norwegians are the only suppliers of salmon. Last year Polish companies could compete with them, but in the beginning of 2013 all big fish farming companies fell under Norway companies’ control.

According to Russian the Federal Fisheries Agency’s predictions, in 2013 the salmon market is 400,000 tons, 150,000 tons of which is Norway salmon. According to Norway Fish Committee, during period January-October 2013 the supply of fish and seafood from Norway to Russia decreased by 17.3% – till 224,700 tons. In monetary terms the import increased by 6.1% – till €630 million. Imports of Norway salmon decreased by 18.2% – till 87,000 tons while the average price of supplies increased by 37.8% – till €4.65 per kilogram. Imports of trout shrank by 14.1% – till 21,900 tons while costs increased by 37.8% – till €4.97 per kilogram.

Alexandr Savelyev, the representative of the Russian Federal Fisheries Agency, interprets the situation as an “outrage”. “In Russia the price on farmed fish is 4-6 times higher than price on wild fish. It is the only country with a situation like that”, – he says. According to the information of the Federal Fisheries Agency, prime cost of Norway salmon is 50 Rubles per kilogram, Russian salmon – 80 Rubles per kilogram.

Timur Mitulov, the head of informational fishery agency, considers the matter is not only the weather: “Russian Far East yield of salmon decreased by 12-13%, meanwhile Japan and USA demand strengthened”.

Meanwhile representatives of X5 Retail Group and “Sedmoy Kontinent” say, that during the last 3 months they haven’t noticed any price increases on the part of suppliers who sell Norway chilled salmon.

www.retailer.ru

Narody Severa and Bolsheretsk salmon fishery begins MSC assessment process

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The Narody Severa and Bolsheretsk pink, chum, sockeye, and coho salmon fishery operating in the Sea of Okhotsk and Western Kamchatka, Russia has entered into full assessment in the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) certification programme.

The assessment will evaluate the fishery against the MSC principles and criteria for sustainable fishing and, if successful, salmon from the fishery will be eligible to bear the MSC ecolabel.

The target species for this fishery assessment are sockeye, chum, pink, and coho salmon in the Opala and Kihchik Rivers, and pink salmon on the Bolshaya River. The method of catch in the sea is set nets and beach seines are used in rivers. The fishery operates during the return of the salmon stocks to natal rivers, and occurs annually from July to September.

The clients for this assessment are Narody Severa, Ltd. and Bolsheretsk, Ltd. In 2012, catch volumes for all four species were 18,826 tons for Boslheretsk, Ltd. and 11,560 tons for Narody Severa, Ltd. Currently, nearly all of the fish is sold in the domestic Russian market and processed into various products.

Source: www.thefishsite.com

Fish and Seafood Exports Increased in January 2013

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Fish and seafood exports in January 2013 increased in volume by 27 per cent, 35.8 thousand tonnes, and in value by 19.7 per cent to $236.4 million, from the same time last year.

In January, exports of frozen fish increased by 27.4 per cent to 156.9 thousand tons, due to the increase in yield and export of Pacific herring, Pacific and Atlantic cod, mackerel, haddock and sea bass, reports ProdMagazin.

Despite the rise in the other species, exports of salmon and pollock declined.

Exports of fish fillets increased by 14.1 per cent to 4.8 tonnes. The main export fillet went to the Netherlands and South Korea. The increase in exports was due to the growth in exports of cod fillets .

ProdMagazin reported that exports of fish, dried, salted or smoked increased by 82.4 per cent to 547 tonnes.

Crustacean exports grew by 11.2 per cent to 2.7 tonnes. Export growth was due to the increase in the export of crabs. At the same time, amid falling catches and the increase in income for the domestic market, shrimp exports decreased to 222 tons.

Exports of shellfish have grown by 9.4 per cent to 1018 tonnes and exports of prepared or preserved fish products increased by 7.6 per cent to 1.38 tonnes.

Source: www.thefishsite.com