Russia faces capelin shortage due to decrease in 2014 catch - fisheries agency
MOSCOW. Oct 28 (Interfax) - The Russian fish market could see a capelin deficit due to a decrease in the total allowable catches (TAC) of this fish in Russia and Norway in 2014.
As a result the Russian market for capelin can become 83.3% smaller next year compared to 2013. The market for capelin roe can become 60% smaller, capelin prices can grow by 30-40%, and roe prices by 40-50%, the Federal Fisheries Agency's (Rosrybolovstvo) PR director, Alexander Savelyev, told Interfax.
In 2014 the total allowable catches of capelin for both countries will be 15,000 tonnes (including 6,000 tonnes for Russia), versus the 190,000 tonnes for 2013. Agreement on a decrease in TAC was reached at the beginning of October at the 43rd session of the Joint Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission. During the talks Norway suggested a total moratorium on capelin fishing, Savelyev said.
In 2009-2013, Russia caught an average yearly 80,000 tonnes of capelin. For January-October of this year this amount was 60,400 tonnes.
Therefore, if Russian fishermen use the whole 2014 quota, then the capelin catch next year will be more than 90% smaller than this year.
In view of the fact that a reduction in capelin TAC in 2014 will also hurt Norway, the main supplier of the fish to Russia, the Russian capelin market can shrink by 83%-80% to 20,000-23,000 tonnes next year from 120,000 tonnes in 2013, Savelyev predicts.
In 2012, Russia imported 46,700 tonnes of frozen capelin and 5,300 of chilled capelin. The share of overall Norwegian import was 66% and 34,100 tonnes. Remaining imports were from Iceland (32%), the Faroe Islands (1.5%) and other countries (0.5%).
A decrease in the 2014 fishing quota will cause the market for capelin roe to shrink and the cost for the product to grow, the expert said. The potential size of the domestic market for capelin roe in Russia is 3,500-5,000 tonnes, and can shrink by 60% times next year to 1,800-2,000 tonnes. The deficit will cause an increase of 40-50% in prices for the product. Currently the wholesale price for frozen capelin roe in the European part of Russia is 110-150 rubles per kilogram, and the price for canned and screened capelin roe is 200-300 rubles.
Savelyev thinks that next year can become disadvantageous for the Russian fishing market as a whole. A decrease in the total allowable catches for the most affordable types of fish for the consumer causes alarm. TAC for North Pacific herring is planned to drop by 9% to 357,000 tonnes, and Atlantic herring by 33% to 53,000 tonnes, Savelyev said.
The total allowable catches for capelin in 2014 have been lowered due to a sharp fall in the number of this type of fish. Scientists attribute this to an increase in water temperature, which causes a decrease in food supply for the capelin and an increase in cod, which eats the capelin.