Brief overview of the Russian hake market and forecast for 2007. Part 1.

In the recent five years hake has been one of the most popular species on the Russian market along with Alaska pollock and cod. Those species are the most highly liquid and basiс for trade operations for a lot of wholesalers. Continuously growing demand for such fish secures stable wholesale volumes.

According to sources in the trade, in the year 2006 the Russian hake market exceeded 34,000 tonnes with two Russian companies OOO REAL (ltd) and JSC ZAO Tunaycha Company coming forward as the main suppliers of hake on the domestic market.

In particular, the Russian seafood importer OOO REAL (ltd) has been supplying head-off tail-off hake onto the Russian market from the USA, Canada, Argentine, etc. for a number of years.

Company background

Since 2000 when it was established REAL has developed into one of Russia's largest importers supplying a wide range of seafood items. The assortment offered by the company includes pelagic fish, chilled and frozen Atlantic salmon from Norway and Chile, Pacific salmon, fillets of various fish species from Vietnam and China, Latin America.

In order to strengthen its leading position on the Russian frozen fish market REAL signed a contract for frozen hake shipments in the year 2006.