Russian PM Vladimir Putin paid attention to railway tariffs for domestic seafood deliveries and some positive developments on national fish market

At early July '11 meeting with Russia's fishery industry head Andrey Krainy the nation's PM Vladimir Putin underlined positive dynamics of import substitution and showed interest to current tariffs for railway transportation of seafood from the Far East Region, the latter issue growing especially urgent in view of the current salmon season unrolling now in the Pacific waters, according to Russian Fish Insider Report published by http://www.megafishnet.com/.

Andrey Krainy reported Mr Putin that the first half of 2011 has been fairly a success for the nation's fishermen with the seafood harvest growing by 3% or 60,000 MT as compared to the corresponding result of 2010. The fishing seasons have been also progressing successfully and import shipments have fallen by 32% to highlight a growing trend of import substitution.

In particular, herring catches in the Russian Far East have dramatically increased, thus letting the nation's producers gradually substitute Norwegian herring with the local alternative. Today the supply of Russian herring accounts for more than 78% of total herring sales in the country, said the nation's fishery head. Thus, the target of the food security doctrine to bring the domestic product to 80% by 2020 could be achieved by 2013-2014 subject to catches will develop at the same rate.

Railway tariffs

July-August is normally a high season for seafood shipments from the Russian Far East and it is quite logical to expect a decline of railway tariffs in view of rising demand for thermos cars to bring salmon harvest from the Pacific grounds to Central Russia. However in summer 2011 Russian Raiways have even slightly increased its tariffs in order to compensate for lower proceeds in winter and early spring (when the company had to reduce tariffs against the background of declining orders), explained Andrey Krainy. This summer Russian Railways has provided sufficient supply of thermos cars to meet growing demand from the fishing regions.