News - page 71

A new version of the Administrative Regulations which cancels system of obligatory confirmation of contracts with foreign partners for seafood import shipments has come into effect as of 19 December 2011, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/ with reference to Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor).

Joint Belarus-German company Santa-Bremor which produces 77,000 MT of more than 500 various fish items per year will open a new logistics centre in Moscow to cater for its growing sales to Russia, reports www.megafishnet.com.

Export in the late November - early December had a number of developments and contained mostly such products as pollock, fishmeal, pink and chum salmon, herring and Atka mackerel, reports www.megafishnet.com.

High-flying investment project called Russian salmon to be carried out in Murmansk Oblast will boost farmed salmon and trout production to 15,000 MT per year, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/

In mid-December 2011 Russia's Federal Fisheries Agency has banned cod fishery in the White Sea, reports http://www.megafishent.com/

Looking at Authorities decisions both Russian and American catch of Alaska pollock will stay reasonably high next year. It can guarantee stability to markets and possibly even supply increase, but it is not clear whether prices could meet producers' requests as economic situation is not too good in Europe, Japan, and USA, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/ with reference to Russian, American and Japanese sources.

In October 2011 shipments of frozen pollock roe and salmon roe from Russia to main foreign markets were fairly high as reported by Russian exporters. Besides, shipments of frozen salmon and frozen crab were brisk, just like shipments of live crab to Japan (to say nothing of a very serious price rise), according to the overview prepared by analysts of http://www.megafishnet.com/ based on Japanese, Russian and American sources.

Government of Saint Petersburg has approved a project on construction of a ship building complex in the island of Kotlin. The shipyard is to be built by 2019, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/

Several big projects on commodity fish farming have been recently announced in the south of Russia (the Olympic region of Kransodarsky Krai, Astrakhan and other regions). The region is the nation's leader in the sector, but a noticeable boost of commodity sturgeon farming and production of farmed caviar would provide for stronger state support, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/

Russian Agricultural Bank provided Russia's biggest seafood producer and importer the first tranche under the approved credit line with the total amount of RUR 2.8 billion for aquaculture development in Russia, reports www.megafishnet.com

In mid-December 2011 Russia's Ministry of Health and Social Development cancelled sanitary regulations limiting content of glaze in frozen seafood in a drive towards harmonization of Russian requirements to seafood products and single standards of the Customs Union (Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan). The nation's fishery industry immediately reacted to the Ministry's order with criticism, reports www.megafishnet.com.

Pollock fishery in the Sea of Okhotsk and in the Bering Sea, herring fishery in the Olyutorsk and Karaginsk Bays and salmon fishery are main contributors to the Russian wild fish harvest in the Far East Basin and the bulk of it (about 90%) comes from Kamchatka waters, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/ with reference to KamchatNIRO research institute.

Half of all Russian commercial fisheries could be declared sustainable and MSC-certified by the year 2013, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/

The Russian fishery industry will not be shaken or reshuffled. Its mission is the same: to provide Russian people with high quality Russian-made fish products, and the sector's investment appeal is improving, according to the 1st Vice-PM Victor Zubkov

One of the biggest Russian fishing companies Murmansk Trawl Fleet (MTF) is deep into negotiations process with Karat Holding towards acquisition of the combine by the fast-growing group, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/

According to estimated figures, in November 2011 the Russian harvest in the Atlantic Ocean and Southeast Pacific decreased by 36,700 MT to 70,300 MT. The contribution of Kaliningrad-based vessels amounted to 17%, reports www.megafishnet.com.

The Russian Union of Producers and Entrepreneurs organized hearings on influence of WTO membership on the agricultural complex of Russia which is now in the process of joining the World Trade Organisation, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/