Fish processing plant. (Photo: Stock File)

Fishing industry maintains stable growth

RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Wednesday, July 01, 2015, 01:40 (GMT + 9)

The Russian fishing industry has remained stable in the last three years, with catches amounting to around 4.3 million tonnes of fish annually, half of which is destined to China, South Korea and Japan, according to the Russian State Statistics Service.

“A stable growth in the industry has been observed since 2009. The annual increase in the haul of seafood is around 10 per cent per year,” deputy director of the agency Vasily Sokolov pointed out, Russia Beyond the Headlines reported.

The director also highlighted that from the volumes of the fish caught, they obtain 3.6-3.7 million tonnes of edible products and that they also import fish.

Considering the data from the agency, mainly frozen fish is sold in the domestic market but processed fish trade is growing. As to exports, even when frozen products are mostly sold abroad, there are more and more Russian enterprises that are now exporting fresh seafood.

“These are mainly crustaceans,” Sokolov stressed. “Currently, we have been able to legalize this trade thanks to the border services and to the fact that industry itself has joined the fight against poaching.”

Sector sources consulted by FIS.com reported that Russia has traditionally exported around 1.5 million annual tonnes of frozen pollock, which constitutes 43 per cent of the fishermen's haul, mainly to China and South Korea.

Another important export is that of Pacific herring, about 250,000 tonnes are sold abroad annually. But Russia imports about 100,000 tonnes of herring from Norway and Iceland every year.

Sokolov explained it makes more business sense to sell the produce from the Russian Far East to Asian countries, while European Russia’s demand is satisfied with imports from Scandinavia.

Another fish that is exported at substantial volumes (around 145,000 tonnes annually) is Atlantic cod.

Russian fishermen have started supplying herring to Africa and pollock to Brazil.

As to imports, the agency informed that Russia has started importing trout and wild and farmed shrimp from Iran. Besides, Greenland has also increased its supplies of shrimp.

Referring to fishing trade, Deputy Director of the Regional Economy and Economic Geography Department at the Higher School of Economics Alexei Skokin mentioned the difficulties Russia has to face in order to sell its hauls.

“The main problem facing our fishing industry in the Far East is the financial possibilities of the local population,” he said. “They are extremely low. That is why fishermen sell their catch to neighbouring countries, which pay immediately in foreign currency. In some cases, in order to avoid paying taxes.”

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