Mixed trends on Russian market of mackerel and herring

After a noticeable fall mackerel prices started to rise already in the middle of October 2006, according to reports from trading sources in Saint Petersburg, Russia’s main entry port for imported seafood.

Norwegian producers explained it by the fact that the mackerel quota 2006 was coming to an end. Prices grew not only for the largest sizes but for the size 400-600g as well. By the last ten days of October it was a real challenge to buy mackerel 600+ without smaller sizes. The Norwegians kept offering mackerel, but in smaller volumes as compared to the beginning of the month. First supplies of Scottish mackerel appeared on offer. The Scottish traders tried to sell the sizes 600+, 500+ and 400-600 as one lot. Prices for Canadian mackerel dramatically falling in the last week of September and in the first week of October stabilized and even won back some of its lost position. This year the supply of large mackerel in Canada has been great as compared to previous year.

Herring

On the market of w/r herring prices for large sizes 350+ CIP Russia were stable or falling as compared to the previous month and nearly 10-20% lower than prices in the course of October 2005.

Herring from the fishing season 2006 was much smaller than usual. Not only that the herring fishery this year started three weeks later than usual as the fleets could not find fishable concentrations, the herring 2006 was also much smaller. Normally at the start of the season the supply of the size 400+ is abundant on the market and the customers can buy not very big lots even without a linked purchase of smaller sizes. This year starting from the very beginning of the season herring 400+ was sold only in combination with the size 350+ which normally amounted to at least 50%. In late October herring prices in Russia were slowly decreasing from the mid-October level.