Alaska Pollock Association fuels value-added production

Russian surimi mince onboard production seems to be recovering after many years of stagnation, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/.

World surimi market capacity amounts to more than 600,000 tonnes but Russia lost its market share in the beginning of 1990s. At present, Russian companies are gradually coming back to this profitable segment of the seafood market.

On 25 February 2011 middle trawler "Sergey Bochkarev" owned by Trawl Master Ltd landed 48 tonnes of surimi in Vladivostok and 55 tonnes of the product in Pusan (South Korea). According to the Alaska pollock Association, total production of surimi mince in 2010 amounted to 30,000 tonnes while decreasing prices of pollock fillets in Europe contributed again to the growth of financial attractiveness of surimi production. Surimi production requires high quality control and production methods that is why such experience will be quite interesting for many Russian producers. Russian onshore processors of crab sticks may also benefit from such production as they will be able to build supply chains with Russian producers.

Share of Russian Pollock Association in the nation's Alaska pollock fillet market amounts to 90% and now it has emerged as a main producer of surimi in Russia.