Year 2009 turning fruitful for Russia's fishery industry
In the twelve months of 2009 Russia's domestic production of seafood commodities including canned finfish and other aquatic products has jumped by 2.9%, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/ (https://www.fishnet.ru/).
The largest production rise has been recorded for chilled fish (less herring), production of which jumped by 16.9% to 137,000 tonnes, while the output of frozen fish rose by 14.8% to 2,148,000 tonnes, special cut fish - by 13.5% to 24,600 tonnes, fish roe - by 22.2% to 46,000 tonnes. At the same time, production of fish fillets declined by 12.3% to 64,000 tonnes, salted fish (less herring) - by 10.3% to 32,200 tonnes, herring (all products) - by 6.9% to 412,000 tonnes, smoked fish (less herring) - by 12.6% to 54,300 tonnes, dried and dry-cured fish - by 13.6% to 17,300 tonnes and balyk-style products - by 12.8% to 2600 tonnes.
Retail turnover in 2009 amounted to RUR14,516.9 billion accounting for 94.5% of the commodities' mass of 2008. The result for December 2009 amounted to RUR1,518.4 billion or 96.4% of the corresponding period of last year.
In 2009 the structure of the retail turnover consisted of food products, drinks and tobacco inclusive, at 48.6% and nonfoods at 51.4% (in 2008 46.8% and 53.2% correspondingly).
As compared to November 2009, in December 2009 retail sales seasonally jumped by 38.8% (in the previous months by 5.5%). Besides, the sales rise was observed for canned and marinated fish (+35.7% namely). As per 1 January 2010 provision of the retail trade with seafood inventories amounted to 13 days and with canned and marinated fish - 18 days. In 2009 growth of consumer prices for finfish and other aquatic products amounted to 10.6%.
Importation of finfish and invertebrates from other than CIS sources (according to provisional figures of Russia's Federal Customs Service) in December 2009 totaled 202.1 million USD, 9.6% down on December 2008.
According to provisional expert estimates, in 2009 import of chilled and freshfrozen finfish and fish fillets amounted to ca.800,000 tonnes at the total value of more than 1.4 billion USD. As compared to 2008, seafood import decreased by 9.2% in volume and 15.3% in value.
In the period of the world financial crisis the Russian fishery industry has been still showing positive results practically in all the sectors. In the year 2009 the nation's total catch increased by 12.9% to RUR3,675 million tons, seafood production - by 2.9% to 3.8 million tonnes, retail seafood trade - by 7%, according to some expert estimates. Such positive dynamics resulted into a 9% decline of seafood import, which in its turn decreased Russia's import dependence on fish to 30% and an increase of average per capita seafood consumption to 18.1 kilos.
Thus, from January to November 2009 the financial balance (profit less expenses) in the fishery industry amounted to RUR9.2 billion, 3.1 times up on the corresponding result of 2008. The share of profitable enterprises in the industry jumped by 7.8% to 76.6%.