Russia Plans to Accelerate Fight Against Salmon Poaching in Years to Come

Russia plans to accelerate its fight with poaching in years to come, according to recent statements made by senior state officials in the field of fisheries and local media reports.

As part of these plans, a particular attention will be paid in the fight against salmon poaching.

According to recent statements, made by the head of Rosrybolovstvo Ilya Shestakov, poaching remains a problem for Russia, but tightening of control measures leads to its reduction.

Ilya Shestakov comments: “Of course...

Russian Fish Sector Shows Good Catch Figures This Year

The Russian fish sector shows good catch figures this year due to generally good weather and other conditions, according to the latest data from the Russian Federal Agency of Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo) and some local media reports.

According to data from Rosrybolovstvo, as of March 21, the volume of catch in the domestic territorial waters has grown by 4% year-on-year basis up to 1.26 million tons. The current positive dynamics is ongoing.

The best dynamics of catch is traditionally observed in the Far East basin, where...

Russia Plans to Increase the Volume of Domestic Catch Up to 6 Million Tonnes by 2030

Russia plans to increase the volume of domestic catch up to 6 million tonnes by 2030, which will be achieved through the more active expansion of domestic fishing fleet.

According to recent statements, made by Ilya Shestakov, head of Rosrybolovstvo, as part of these plans, a particular attention will be paid to resume construction of two research vessels, as well as the conduction of more active research activities. For this purpose, Rosrybolovstvo has recently reached an agreement with the Russian space corporation Roscosmos...

Russian Government Will Consider Zeroing Duties on Fish Exports

The Russian government will consider zeroing duties on the exports of some types of fish products in a move to provide support to domestic fishermen.

Part of this plan involves the lifting of duties on the exports of pollock, cod, iwasi and deep-sea crabs. At present the rate is set at 5.5%.

According to fishermen, the existing duties have a negative impact on the profitability of Russian fishing enterprises, especially due to the existing counter restrictions imposed by the EU and the United States against Russian fish...

Russian Fishermen Resuming Catch in the Antarctic Region This Year

Russian fishermen are resuming their catch in the Antarctic region this year after a long break. This has been recently confirmed by the head of Rosrybolovstvo Ilya Shestakov.

Ilya Shestakov comments: “We have plans, prospects. This year we plan to resume fishing Antarctica, where Russia has not carried out this fishery for a long time.”

According to him, it is very important for Russian fishermen — who last year caught a record volume of fish in the last 30 years at 5.3 million tons — to expand the resource base...

Russia Increasing Production of Premium Seafood

Russia is increasing production of premium seafood in order to completely meet the domestic demand, according to recent statements made by Ilya Shestakov, head of the Russian Federal Agency of Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo).

Ilya Shestakov comments: “Since 2018, the production of valuable seafood in Russia has increased by 5 times. These are shellfish, urchins, mussels, oysters, scallops. Now we produce 84,000 tonnes of them. Despite sanctions, production is ongoing in both Southern and Far East parts of Russia.

Only in the case of oysters, the share of domestic products in the Russian market...

VIDEO: Deadline Extended For Russian Seafood; Sushi Council Formed; BBRSDA’s New Executive Director

Join SeafoodNews Weekly Video co-hosts Amanda Buckle and Lorin Castiglione as they break down the top stories of the week, including the deadline extension for Russian-origin seafood; the formation of the National Fisheries Institute’s Sushi Council; and the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association’s new Executive Director.

This episode of the SeafoodNews Weekly Video is brought to you by Urner Barry. Urner Barry is heading to Boston for Seafood Expo North America from March 10th through the 12th...

Les Hodges: Russian Crab Dominates Asia

The economy grew 3.1% over the past year according to the Commerce Department while inflation is nearing the central bank's 2% goal. U.S. consumer spending held up remarkably well in 2023 despite elevated inflation and higher interest rates. A year ago, the expectation was for a 0.2% advance in 2023. Much of the credit goes to consumers who spent more on healthcare, dining out, and cars. Housing was flat as expected with the high interest rates. Still, there are signs that the spending and the economy will slow and economists are...

Russian Pollock Producers Hope for Significant Increase of Sales in Domestic Market This Year

Leading Russian pollock producers hope for a significant increase of sales on the domestic market this year. This will mainly be due to the popularization of pollock among local customers and the decline of prices for it.

So far, high prices have been one of the major factors which have limited the consumption of pollock and other Russian fish in the domestic market. However, there is a possibility that this problem could be solved — at least partially — in the short-term...

Japan: Frozen Snow Crab Imports in 2023 Up 12% to 19000 Tons; 69% from Russia

In 2023, Japan's frozen crab imports increased, mainly from Russia, due to falling prices. According to the Ministry of Finance's trade statistics, the volume of frozen snow crab imported  inceased 12% from the previous year to 18,857 tons, of which Russian imports increased by 18% to 13,079 tons. That is the highest since 2012. According to Minato Shimbun, the proportion of frozen snow crabs imported from Russia was 69%, the highest since records began in 1990...

Russian State to Confiscate Property and Quotas of Former Crab Kings

The Russian Prosecutor General's Office, together with the local antitrust regulator FAS, have filled a record claim in the Arbitration Court of the Primorsky Territory for the collection of almost 400 billion rubles (US$4,41 billion) of funds from two recent “crab kings” in the Russian Far East - Oleg Kan and Dmitry Dremlyuga.

According to the Russian Kommersant business paper, both FAS and Prosecutor General's Office are demanding a record amount for damages from entrepreneurs who fled abroad. They also want to confiscate of all their structures, ships...

Russia Achieved Best Catch Figures for Last 30 Years in 2023

Russian fishermen caught over 5.3 million tons of fish in 2023, which became the best figure in the last 30 years, according to data provided during one of the latest governmental meetings in Russia.

This has been also confirmed by the head of the Russian Federal Agency of Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo), Ilya Shestakov. According to Shestakov, the level of self-sufficiency with fish products is currently more than 150%. At the same time the volume of imports is also growing, while last year amounted to 606,000 tonnes...

Russia May Consider Revising Fisheries Agreement with Faroe Islands

The Russian government will protect the interests of domestic fishermen, which in recent months have faced discrimination during their catch in the Faroe Islands.

This has been recently confirmed by the Russian Ambassador in Denmark, Vladimir Barbin, in an interview with the Russian newswire RIA Novosti.

According to the diplomat, the Faroe Islands have recently taken a course towards discrimination against Russian fishermen -- in particular by introducing restrictions on entry into ports for Russian fishing trawlers. In response, the Russian Rosrybolovstvo has already made a proposal to...

Japan: Frozen King Crab Imports in January-November Surged 82% to 2849 Tons, 2814 Tons from Russia

King crab is a popular seafood for the New Year. Most imports come from Russia, which holds the world's largest quota for king crab. According to the Ministry of Finance's trade statistics, imports of frozen king crab from January to November 2023 increased significantly to 2,849 tons, an 82% increase compared to last year.

By country, imports from Russia increased by 83% to 2,814 tons. Norway increased by 43% to 35 tons. In the United States, fishing for king crab in Bristol Bay...

Russian Government Will Consider Increase of Duties on Fish Imports

The Russian government will consider the increase of duties on imports of some types of fish in the domestic market despite the opposition from some producers and analysts.

At the same time there will not be a sharp growth of duties, which could lead to volatility in the market. Such a position was expressed during the government meeting in the Khabarovsk Territory at the Pacific State University.

According to state analysts, a sharp increase of import duty is dangerous due to a possible jump of prices for fish and fish...

Salmon, Cod, Pollock, Crab: Biden Cracks Down on Russian Seafood Loopholes

The Fed is winning its fight over inflation with many experts now believing that the economy will cruise to a soft landing in 2024. Consumer sentiment has increased to 14% to a five-month high in December according to a University of Michigan survey. In addition, the Labor Department reported payroll rose in December and unemployment is low at 3.7%. Economists polled by Down Jones expect consumer price will rise to 3.3% vs. December 2022. However, the robust sales found at restaurants and grocery through the holiday season...

Russia Plans to Revise Existing International Fishing Agreements

Russia plans to revise the existing international fishing agreements in order to identify those that are unfavorable for the country.

According to Ilya Shestakov, the head of Rosrybolovstvo, such a revision will be conducted together with the Russian Parliament in the short-term.

According to official data from Rosrybolovstvo, the existing fisheries agreements ensure approximately 25% of the total Russian fish catch per year, which is equivalent to about 1 million tons. The total Russian catch in 2023 amounted to more than 5.3 million tons, which became a record figure over the...

Russia's Top Quarantine Authority: "No Plans to Resume Imports of Japanese Seafood"

Regarding Russia's embargo on Japanese seafood products that began in October last year, Sergei Dankbert, head of the Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, told Russian media that there are no plans to resume imports of seafood products from Japan. The agency announced on its website on January 26, citing Russian media, according to Minato Shimbun.

Commissioner Dankbert stated, "We were unable to receive an answer from the Japanese side regarding the calculation method for the content of the radioactive substance tritium contained in seafood...

Russian Fish Producers, Processors to Face Bankruptcies This Year

Many Russian fish producers and processors may face serious problems and even bankruptcy this year due to the inability to fulfill their obligations over the Russian state to build processing capacities this year, according to representatives of the companies and some Russian media reports.

Many Russian fishermen that built fish factories under the investment quota program faced fines from Rosrybolovstvo for non-compliance with requirements for processing the catch. The fines from Rosrybolovstvo are due to a violation of a clause in the contract, according to which factories must...

Russian Crab Imports: China's Live Up 50%, Japan's Frozen Snow Crab Up 20%

China's imports of live and fresh crabs from Russia increased by 50% to over 30,000 tons.

According to Minato Shimbun, in 2023, China's imports of live and fresh crabs from Russia increased by 50% (approximately 10,000 tons) from the previous year to 30,105 tons. According to statistics from the China General Administration of Customs, this was the highest number since records began in 2015. A Japanese trading company said, "It's shocking that the number of king crabs has increased by 10,000 tons...

Russia Wants to Reduce Exports of Salmon, Sardines This Year in Favor of Supplies to Domestic Market

Russia may reduce exports of salmon and sardines this year, with the aim to increase their supplies to the domestic market. This is mainly due to the provision of state subsidies for the exports from the Far East to the European part of the country.

So far Chile and Turkey, which primarily supply aquaculture fish, are among the major suppliers of salmon to Russia.

The provision of state subsidies will allow to significantly increase the supplies of various Pacific salmon species...

Import Ban on Russian Seafood Into U.S. Receives Extension To May

In the final days of 2023, President Joseph R. Biden signed an Executive Order on “taking additional steps with respect to the Russian Federation’s harmful actions.” The U.S. had already banned imports of Russian seafood, but the latest Executive Order closed a loophole that allowed Russian-caught seafood, processed in China, to enter the country. The government gave U.S. importers a deadline of February 21 to bring in any Russian-origin seafood that was already under contract or written agreement prior to December 22...

Level of Consolidation in Russian Crab Sector is Growing

The level of consolidation in the Russian crab sector is growing as the number of crab catchers of small and medium size is declining. Many of them are withdrawn from the market by larger players.

Recently a number of Russian small crab producers have reported about the reduction of their production volumes to “microscopic levels.” That became mainly due to the loss of “historic” production volumes after the bulk of crab quotas were distributed at auctions in 2019–2023.

In January 2024, the companies sent requests to the...

Russian Crab Looks To Become Leading Crab Exporter and Producer in Russia

Russian Crab, the Russian crab producer, is looking to become one of the leading crab exporters and producers in the domestic market.

As part of the plan, the company last year supplied 8.600 tons of live crabs to China in 2023, which is 1.7 times more than in 2022.

At the same time in 2023 its overall production amounted to 11.700 tons of crabs, which is equivalent to 20% of the overall production of king crab in the Russian Far Eastern basin...

Russian Fish Sector Shows Positive Dynamics This Year

The Russian fish sector is showing positive dynamics this year as the volume of catch of some major fish species is growing.

Currently the best figures are observed in pollock and herring. According to data of Rosrybolovstvo, as of January 30, pollock catch in the Far East reached 248.400 tons, which is almost 17% more than the 2023 level.

At the same time a significant increase compared to last year is observed in the herring fishery: 83.500 tons, which is b 1.7 times more year-on-year basis...

Russian Pollock Fishermen Achieved Record Figures in 2023

Russian fishermen caught 1.96 million tons of pollock in 2023, which became a record figure for the country over the past 25 years and exceeded the catch in 2022 by 3%, according to a recent report from the Russian Pollock Association (ADM).

In regard of pollock products, the overall output grew by 7.4% to 1,08 million tons.

In general, the share of pollock in the overall catch in Russia has reached almost 36%; it still remains the main commercial sea resource of the Russian Federation. Last year, 275 vessels worked...

Russian Pollock Association Predicts Exports of Pollock Will Grow in 2024

Exports of pollock from Russia in 2024 may grow by 13% on a year-on-year basis, to more than 880,000 tonnes, according to earlier predictions made by experts of the Russian Pollock Association (ADM). At the same time, the profitability of supplies will decrease by 5%, to US$1.2 billion.

As experts of the Association have earlier said in an interview with the Russian media, the key trend in pollock exports last year became reorientation from fillets to frozen pollock and surimi...

U.S. Department of Treasury Updates HTS Codes Under Expanded Russian Sanctions

In December a new Executive Order was issued expanding the sanctions of certain seafood from Russia. The Executive Order not only blocks the importation of seafood from Russia, but also Russian-harvested seafood that has been “transformed into another product outside of the Russian Federation.”

A few weeks after the Biden Administration announced the Executive Order, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control published regulations defining what is meant by the terms “salmon,” “cod,” “pollock,” and “crab.” This update includes HTS codes that previously...

Trident Seafoods Ends NFI Membership Over Russian-Sourced Seafood; NFI Responds

After weeks of speculation, Trident Seafoods officially notified the National Fisheries Institute (NFI) that they have decided to terminate their longstanding relationship with the organization. 

Trident has been a member of NFI since 1978 but says that they recently hit a crossroads with the organization that has led them to change their membership status. For the seafood giant, it comes down to Russian-harvested seafood. 

In late December President Joe Biden signed an executive order that closed the sanctions loophole that allowed...

Russia Switches to Imports of Cheaper Seafood From Asia

Russia has been switching on the imports of cheaper seafood from Asia, which in recent years have almost completely replaced more expensive supplies from Western markets.

An example of this is shrimp, which imports from Asia to the market of Russia have significantly increased in recent years.

Prior to 2014, most of shrimp supplies to Russia accounted for northern shrimp, which was primarily supplied from Western countries. However after the Russian Federation restricted food imports from Western countries, the share of “king”...