Russian seafood export in 1Q, 2011 moves upwards, imports dive

In the first quarter 2011 Russian export volume of fish, fish products and non-finfish products amounted to 517,100 tonnes, 42,300 tonnes (or 8.9%) up on the same period of the year 2010, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/.

Meanwhile, importation of seafood products to Russia fell by 25.2% to 214,100 tonnes.

The volume of customs cleared products amounted to 409,000 tonnes, 2.3% (or 9,500 tonnes) down on the same period last year. Exports from the fishing areas increased by 48,600 tonnes (93.3%) and amounted to 100,600 tonnes. The share of exports from fishing areas reached 19.5% in comparison with the same period 2010.

Frozen fish was the largest export item with the market share amounting to 85%, the remaining share contributed by fish fillets and other types of processing. Export of processed fish jumped five times to 60,400 tones, while export from fishing areas hiked 16.5 times to 39,700 tonnes.

Besides, export of shellfish and mollusks increased 1.2 times and amounted to 9.400 tonnes, of chilled fish 3 times to 600 tonnes.

Supplies of frozen fish decreased by 7,100 tonnes (by 1.6%) and amounted to 439,600 tonnes. Alaska pollock remained the dominated product with the share of 76.1%, while export volume of Alaska pollock in January - March 2011 decreased by 13.1% to 284,700 tonnes. Supplies of frozen herring moved up by 46.4%, of cod - by 36.3% and amounted to 54,900 tonnes and 6,400 tonnes correspondingly.

China, South Korea, Ukraine and Japan were main buyers of Russian fish in the first quarter 2011. The share of supplies to those countries reached 97%. China purchased 275,100 tonnes (67.3% of total volume) of fish from Russia that was by 3.4% less than in the same period last year. S. Korea imported 115,800 tonnes (or 28.3%) of fish, 1.3% up on the previous year level. Supplies to Japan decreased by 2,200 tonnes to 3,400 tonnes.

As for Russian import of seafood products, frozen fish became the most imported product with the share of 55% of total imports. The share of fish fillet and other processed products amounted to 12.7%, of chilled products - 11.1%, of finished products and canned fish - 10.1%, of shellfish and mollusks - 9.9%.

Import of frozen fish decreased by 72,100 tonnes (38%), of fillets - by 3,500 tonnes (by 11.4%), of shellfish - by 1,900 tonnes (by 10.5%). At the same time, the supplies of mollusks went up by 35.1% (to 5000 tonnes); of finished or canned fish by 9.6% (to 21,700 tonnes); of chilled products by 4.4% (to 23,700 tonnes. Import of live fish notably increased 7.5 times to 300 tonnes.

In the first quarter 2011, 63% of products were supplied from Norway, China, Great Britain, Iceland and Estonia. The import volume of fish supplied from Norway amounted to 77,600 tonnes that is 35.9% less in comparison with the same period 2010. Import from China increased by 6000 tonnes and amounted to  21,100 tonnes.