Russia introduces restrictions on Vietnam imports
Friday,25 May,2012 11:52:42
Shortly after import ban of Norwegian salmon, Russia’a Rosselkhoznadzor recently introduced more measures aimed to regulate foreign suppliers. This time temporary restrictions are laid on several kinds of seafood imports from Vietnamese enterprises. The reason is a high content of harmful microorganisms.
Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision petitioned the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam and expressed its concern about increase of microbial contamination detected in the Vietnamese fish and other products entering the Russian market.
As reported in the Rosselkhoznadzor report, laboratory monitoring showed presence of an increased number of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms in following products:
- iridescent shark produced by enterprises DL 500 and DL 3644
- cuttlefish produced by enterprise NC 128,
- minced surimi produced by enterprises DL144 and DL295
- dried fish produced by enterprises NC 439.
Besides, coliforms were found in cooled squid (DL 344), iridescent shark fillet (DL 183), minced surimi (DL 295 and DL 144). Listeria was found in iridescent shark fillets (DL 308) and in black shrimp (DL 409).
Rosselkhoznadzor applied to Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture with a request to conduct an investigation in order to identify the causes of these microorganism presence in the production and develop measures aimed to eliminate further cases. Russian authorities plan to introduce temporary restrictions on imports of fish and seafood products of Vietnamese enterprises DL500 and DL36, and have already intensified laboratory monitoring of products that come from fish processing enterprises DL183, DL295, DL144, NC 128, DL344, DL308, DL409, NC 439. In case of repeated violations the products from all of the companies listed will be fully banned.
Interesting trend, but no real opinion on my side yet. If you have one - please comment.
Supply improvement, increasing demand for Russia
Tuesday,22 May,2012 14:10:16
Recently I came across a Food Outlook published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and decided to share some facts with you.
The document states that the forecast for the second half of 2012 and beginning of 2013 would indicate an improvement in supply and an increasing demand for seafood products.
What I’d like to highlight in the FAO report is that a strong demand for fish and seafood will stimulate growth of aquaculture production, and ultimately increase demand globally despite a slight drop in consumer demand in traditional markets of southern Europe.
In general, according to study, total volume of production in the fishing industry in 2012 will grow by 2.1 percent to reach 157.3 million metric tons due to increase of the aquaculture production by 5.8 percent. That will offset a minor decline in production of all aquatic resources.
Keep your fingers crossed and hope it plays out like this.
2012 Pacific salmon forecast
Monday,21 May,2012 14:03:21
According to research from the Pacific Fisheries Research Center (PFRC), assumed volume of Pacific salmon catch in 2012 will comprise 2.75 million metric tons.
Traditionally, the main species predicted is the pink salmon with a share of 62 percent of the total catch. As 2012 is an even year, the largest catches of salmon are expected in western Kamchatka, Sakhalin Island and Kuril Islands.
The results of research indicate a high population of pink salmon in the western part of Kamchatka, therefore there’s a possibility of increasing an initially recommended volumes in course of the fishing season.
Compared to odd years, in the East Kamchatka zone the catches of salmon are going to be smaller, and the total expected catch would be about 6 thousand metric tons. Catches of salmon in the West Sakhalin subzone will also be lower, about 3.4 thousand metric tons.
However, even years are known for rich catches of salmon in the Sea of Japan – in 2012 it is expected to produce about 9.5 thousand metric tons of this fish.
As for other species of salmon, catches will be as following:
• Chum salmon – 70.2 thousand metric tons
• Sockeye salmon – 29.7 thousand metric tons
Experts promise that the total catch of salmon in the Russian Far East could reach 300-320 thousand metric tons. It’s an optimistic forecast, but I would say it’s close to reality.
Russia faces consequences over Norway salmon import ban
Wednesday,16 May,2012 08:55:19
Russia’s Rosselkhoznadzor has done what
it had promised, and ban for Norwegian salmon came in force May 5th.
Official statement was as follows: “We found that the products do not
comply with Russian sanitary standards resulting a risk of import of
unsafe products.”
The import of chilled fish to Russia is
temporarily restricted for uncertain period. In addition,
Rosselkhoznadzor has introduced the regime of intensive laboratory
testing of frozen fish originating from 13 Norwegian suppliers.
Russian market players have different
views on this measure, but they share the opinion that the ban will
eventually affect the end consumer.
A number of Russian importers of
Norwegian products see the ban as a danger of the Russian fish market
monopolization as since May 5 about 80 percent of Norwegian trout
imported to Russia will be controlled by a single Russian importer,
namely “Russian Fish Company.”
In a statement the Russian Fisheries
Union indicated that “the actions of Rosselkhoznadzor are
non-transparent, and not clear to the business.”
In my opinion, which many other Russian
businessmen share, the ban will help to promote the production of
Russian fishing enterprises on domestic market. Russia can deliver a
wide variety of wild fish of truly superior quality, like blueback
salmon, chum salmon, coho, hunchback salmon, etc, so the Norwegian
salmon can be partly substituted by the domestic fish.
Talking with Russian businessmen I saw
that they do not think that reducing volumes of Norwegian salmon would
leave the Russian market with no fish. Indeed, in 2011 about 450,000
metric tons of wild salmon was caught in Russia. On the other hand, in
2012 allowable quota for all species of salmon for the fishing season
for Kamchatka fishermen is just about 150,000 metric tons. It’s
explained by significant reduction of salmon population as compared to
previous years. If in 2011 in all regions of the Russian Far East the
total volume of wild salmon was about 500,000 metric tons, this year
only about 275,000 metric tons are assumed.
There’s also another concern to
consider. Every year Russia exports more than 100,000 metric tons of the
Pacific salmon to China, and many businessmen believe that the
government should develop such economic conditions under which domestic
fishing companies would not pay 18 percent VAT when they supply fish to
the domestic market.
“Messaging” this downside on domestic market could indeed stimulate Russian fisheries to turn to the Russian consumers.
Russian fish farms develop new facilities
Monday,14 May,2012 07:44:29
Good news for those who look for new sea products from Russia.
According to RSRIRO (All-Russian Scientific and Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography), in 2011 there was an increase of seafood production by 13.4 percent. The highest growth rates showed mariculture, trout and sturgeon farming.
The total volume reached 135.4 thousand metric tons which is 13.4 percent higher compared to 2010.
Today the fastest growing sector of freshwater aquaculture is the trout. In 2011 the volume of farmed trout reached 20 thousand metric tons, or over 105 percent of the results in 2010.
Sturgeon farming and its most popular field, caviar production, are growing most intensively. In 2011 it was produced over 3,000 tons of fish, and 14.5 tons of caviar, most part was supplied to the domestic market.
Experts predict that in 2012 not less than 20 tons of caviar will be available to consumers. Sturgeon is also in a steady demand in Russia, which is satisfied both by the Russian fishing companies as well as imports from Armenia, Germany, Italy, Spain, China and other countries.
Since the high demand creates favorable conditions for further increasing the volume of sturgeon production in Russia, I can see very good prospects for its export.
Russia’s fishing companies support joining WTO
Friday,11 May,2012 10:24:58
In past posts I touched prospects for Russian fish business in the WTO, more of it today.
First and foremost, Russia’s Fisheries Commission endorsed the agreement on Russia's accession to the WTO and considers participation in this organization necessary for the fishery complex development and involvement of Russian fishing and fish processing enterprises in international market.
Representatives of Russian fish businesses filed a request seeking to abolish export duties on seafood and zero custom duties on equipment imported to Russia for the fishing fleet and fish facilities modernization.
Another matter that worries Russian businessmen is growth of volumes of imported products processed from salmon and herring by foreign manufacturers. In their view, this trend can be dangerous to domestic fishing companies. Therefore it was proposed to apply some protective measures in order to favor to Russian fish producers, whose products become less competitive in the domestic market due to support for foreign manufacturers. Good reason for these statements is the scandal with the ban for Norwegian salmon imports.
"Unfortunately, even detection of bacterial contamination will not lead to immediate ban of all import, and the Norwegians would argue that the Russian labs are wrong, and Russian standards are too strict, etc. The action plan should be as simple as a fish-hook: a warning and a temporary ban. But I assure that price for salmon will not rise since the Russian market is too tasty for the Norwegians,” said Chairman of the Sub-Commission on Fisheries and Aquaculture German Zverev.
And, finally, it was recommended to stop increasing seafood quotas for foreign fishing companies in the Russia’s exclusive economic zone.
As a bottom line, Russia’s joining the WTO promises to bring some good and bad news both for importers and exporters. I will be following this trend and supply you with news. Comments are welcome!