Overview of Moscow's freshfrozen fish market as per early September 2008

As per early September 2008 certain changes were observed on Moscow's freshfrozen fish market as compared to a week ago. More specifically, during the past week or so wholesale prices changed for pelagic species, blue whiting and pink salmon roe, analysts of www.fishnet-russia.com (www.fishnet.ru) concluded after analyzing the current situation on the market.

By the start of September 2008, Sakhalin fishermen harvested more than 76,300 tonnes of salmons and covered 62.8% out of the quotas approved for the season.

Kurile fishermen kept leading positions in terms of catches, with the daily rates reported at more than 910 tonnes. In Sakhalin the commercial pink salmon fishery with fixed and haul seines was closed in the first days of September.

Pink salmon

In early September prices of frozen pink salmon on the Moscow market remained on a par with prices in the closing ten days of August. More specifically, prices stayed at RUB60.00 per kilo of head-on gutted pink salmon 1-1.5 kg, while the maximum price reached RUB75.00 per kilo. The minimum price amounted to RUB58.00 per kilo of silverside salmon 1.5-2 kilos harvested in August. Industry insiders were still sure that by autumn 2008 the prices for the product would settle at RUB60.00 and RUB65.00 per kilo. The demand was fairly good as per early September.

A spokesman of one Moscow-based supplier said that in terms of quality the product samples could be rated as follows: 1) East Kamchatka pinks, 2) Sakhalin pinks, 3) West Kamchatka pinks. However, pink salmon harvested in Sakhalin was not available on the market so far. The best product quality was expected for Kurile salmon, though such products were to appear on the market in the middle and end of September.

Moscow wholesalers also offered North American head-on gutted pink salmon, as well as frozen pink salmon roe in sacks.

Chum salmon

In early September the market situation with frozen chum salmon was similar to that of pink salmon. Prices of head-on gutted chum salmon from the current year harvest were stable and fluctuated from RUB70.00 to RUB75.00 per kilo. The supply of chum salmon in Moscow remained short.

There were single offers of the US chum salmon. However, most probably the US product supply would be short as the Russian importers could not compete with the Chinese and the Ukrainian traders due to the strong exchange rate of the USD.

First-grade head-on gutted chum salmon from the harvest of October 2007 was offered at RUB60.00-63.00 per kilo.

Salmon roe

Early September 2008 saw a lot of offers of salted salmon roe harvested in 2008. The demand for pink salmon roe was described by market players as fairly strong. Some traders raised prices for salted pink salmon roe in cubotainers from RUB1100.00 to RUB1200.00 per kilo. In the coming weeks prices were forecasted to increase gradually. At the same time, there were still wholesalers who continued offering pink salmon roe at RUB1100.00 per kilo.

Sockeye roe was somewhat cheaper with prices ranging from RUB1050.00 to RUB1200.00 per kilo. Chum salmon prices amounted to ca.RUB1300 per kilo. There were also offers of chinook roe from RUB1350.00 per kilo.

Herring

According to the information coming from the grounds, the Icelandic, Faeroese and Norwegian vessels were spotting for herring. Concentrations of the species were dispersed. The fishermen were waiting for herring to migrate to the spawning grounds in the Norwegian zone.

As per early September 2008, Moscow traders reported a shortage of imported herring w/r and flaps, though the product prices were fairly stable. There were offers of herring flaps from Iceland. The supply remained limited, and the average price for herring flaps 6-10 amounted to RUB48.00 per kilo.

There were also offers of Faroese herring flaps at prices fluctuating at RUB43.00-46.00 per kilo depending on the count.

Norwegian herring was available in Moscow from RUB41.00 to RUB48.00 per kilo of the size 350+, and from RUB48.50 to RUB55.00 per kilo of the size 400+.

As for the Russian herring, there was a small decrease of prices for poorly graded herring classified as large and fat. The prices ranged at RUB20.00-22.00 per kilo.

Prices for the Russian herring 200-300 went up, while prices for the size 300+ were stable at RUB26.00 per kilo. Fillets of Russian herring 6-10 were offered at RUB45.50 per kilo.

Mackerel

In early September 2008 the mackerel fishery in Iceland was coming to an end, and the vessels were switching to the herring fishery. According to Icelandic sources, the fishing season had good results.

Recent reports coming from Norway spoke about brisk progressing of mackerel fishery with all the harvest auctioned for food consumption at NOK5.11 per kilo, despite small fish size of 220-360 grams on the average. Larger mackerel of up to 400+ was also observed in single hauls. According to trade operators, on the second week of September mackerel fishery and market activity were forecasted to grow. Just like herring, cold storage inventories of mackerel were low and a price rise was expected.

Besides, according to the market players, in 2008 there were no big offers of large mackerel.

As per early September 2008, the market supply of mackerel was limited. So far the supply was short practically for all mackerel sizes from Iceland, Norway and Russia.

The Russian mackerel headed 200-300 was offered from RUB68.00-69.00 per kilo, while the size 300+ was traded at ca.RUB94.00-96.00 per kilo.

The Norwegian mackerel 300-500 was marketed at ca.RUB108.00 per kilo. The size 400-600 was offered from RUB100.00 to RUB115.00 per kilo.

The Scottish mackerel 200-400 was available from RUB80.00 to RUB82.00 per kilo. The size 300-500 was sold from RUB90.00 per kilo.

There were also offers of the Japanese headed mackerel 400-600 at RUB100.00 per kilo.

Baltic herring, Baltic sprat

In early September 2008 Moscow traders offered both Russian sprat and imported sprat. Kaliningrad sprat was offered at RUB23.50-26.00 per kilo. Estonian and Swedish sprat was sold at RUB21.50-23.50 per kilo. Latvian sprat 9-12 cm was marketed at RUB21.00 per kilo

Kaliningrad herring 18+ was offered at RUB29.50. Finnish herring was marketed at RUB21.00-26.00 per kilo of the size 12-15 and RUB30.00-32.00 for the size 16-18. Prices of Swedish herring amounted to RUB27.00 per kilo of the size 16+ and RUB30.00 per kilo of the size 18+.

Capelin

As per early September 2008, the situation on Moscow capelin market was fairly stable. The market players were offering mostly Canadian capelin at fairly stable prices, namely at RUB41.00-45.00 per kilo of the count 30-40.

Besides, Moscow wholesalers offered Norwegian capelin 45/55 from RUB36.00 to RUB42.50 per kilo, while the count 40/50 was traded at RUB33.50-34.00 per kilo. The offers were however few. The count of 30/40 was available at RUB45.50 per kilo.

The supply of Icelandic capelin in Moscow was very short. Capelin of the count of 40/50 was traded at RUB37.00 per kilo, while the counts of 45/55 and 50/60 were marketed correspondingly at RUB35.00 and 33.00 per kilo.

Blue whiting

As per early September 2008, blue whiting prices were on the rise in Moscow. According to the market participants, the supply of the species was limited as the fleet continued focusing on herring and mackerel. Large importers raised their prices from RUB23.00 to RUB24.00 per kilo. Most of the capital's wholesalers asked RUB27.00 per kilo on the average.

Blue whiting of the Russian origin fetched ca.RUB23.00-26.00 per kilo. There were also offers of blue whiting from Ireland at RUB24.00 per kilo. Scottish blue whiting was offered at RUB27.00 per kilo.

Alaska pollock

As per early September 2008, the situation with the Alaska pollock supply in Moscow was fairly good with the prices reported as stable. More specifically, Alaska pollock 250+was sold from RUB40.00 to RUB45.00 per kilo, while the sizes 300+ and 350+ were offered from RUB42.00 and at RUB48.00-55.00 correspondingly.

As for APO fillets, the market remained well supplied with double frozen pollock fillets coming from China. In particular, IQF fillets 8+ (220+) were marketed from RUB59.00 to RUB80.00 per kilo. Prices for the Chinese fillets settled mostly at RUB70.00 per kilo.

Hake

As per early September 2008, hake prices in Moscow were on the rise, especially prices of the US and Canadian hake. The price growth could be attributed to the fishery closure in the USA. HGT hake 300-50 imported from the USA was sold at RUB87.00-88.00 per kilo.

Canadian HGT hake 300-500 IQF was traded at RUB88.00 per kilo, while the size 500+ was marketed at RUB85.00 per kilo.

Argentinean interleaved hake was sold at RUB102.00-106.00 per kilo (fillets were available at RUB110.00-140.00 per kilo). There were also offers of Argentinean interleaved skinned hake 100-200 at RUB120.00 per kilo and interleaved skinned 200-400 from RUB118.00 to RUB122.00 per kilo.

Skinned hake fillets 120-200 made in Spain were traded at RUB110.00 per kilo, while the size 200-400 was offered at RUB115.00 per kilo.

Skinned hake fillets 170-220 originating from China were sold at RUB85.00 per kilo.

Uruguayan hake was offered in the form of fillets in cubes at RUB64.00-69.00 per kilo.

Squid

As per early September 2008, tubes of skin-on squid harvested in the Russian Far East in 2008 were offered in Moscow at RUB78.00-96.00 per kilo. Skin-on tubes of squid harvested in July 2007 and produced by Vladivostok-based NBAMR were offered at RUB57.00-60.00 per kilo.

Squid tubes made by another Vladivostok-based producer Akros and harvested in September-October 2007 were sold at RUB48.00-60.00 per kilo.

Besides, Moscow traders also offered skinned tubes made by NBAMR at RUB120.00-125.00 per kilo. Due to the current prices of the Russian squid the imported alternative put up a strong competition. More specifically, New Zealand squid tubes 200-300 were offered at RUB50.00-55.00 per kilo, Peruvian squid fillets were traded at RUB40.00 per kilo, and Chinese squid tubes U5-U7 were marketed at RUB59.00-65.00 per kilo.

Argentinean Illex squid tubes were available at RUB60.00-70.00 per kilo.

Pangasius

As per early September 2008, on the Moscow market there were very many offers of the most popular product - pangasius fillets 200+. Besides, the capital's traders offered fillets 600+. The prices for fillets 200+ varied from RUB61.00 to RUB65.00 per kilo depending on color.

Pangasius fillets 600+ were offered at RUB75.00 per kilo.

White-colour fillets were available at RUB90.00-95.00 per kilo.

Moscow traders also offered other pangasius products such as HGT at RUB90.00-95.00 per kilo, steaks at ca.RUB50.00, and fillets in cubes at ca.RUB65.00 per kilo.