No fish caught: red caviar production in Russia has tripled
In Russia, the production of red caviar has tripled. If last year, at the beginning of September, 7.6 thousand tons were put into circulation, then this year it was only 2.6 thousand tons. This was reported to Izvestia in relevant departments and confirmed by manufacturers and sellers. This is one of the lowest rates in the last 20 years. At the same time, Putin's last year was also unsuccessful, and the current one turned out to be even weaker. Izvestia found out how the situation might affect the cost of the delicacy.
What is the reason for the reduction in caviar production?
From May 20, the beginning of the salmon harvest, to September 7, 2.6 thousand tons of red caviar were introduced into trade. A year earlier, for the same period, the figure was 7.66 thousand tons. Izvestia was informed about this by the Center for the Development of Advanced Technologies (CRPT) based on the results of a study of product accounting in the labeling system.
"This year's figure for the specified period is 66% lower than in 2025 and 49% lower than in 2024, when 5,15 thousand tons were put into circulation. At the same time, in 2025, an increase of 49% was recorded compared to 2024," the operator's press service noted. They added that the decrease in the volume of red caviar put into circulation is directly related to the reduction in salmon production.
This information was confirmed to Izvestia by Rosrybolovstvo. The department reported that at the moment the catch of Pacific salmon amounted to more than 92 thousand tons. At the same time, at the beginning of Putin, with reference to scientists, production was projected at 227 thousand tons. As Izvestia wrote, this result could be the worst in the last 20 years. However, on September 4, the head of Rosrybolovstvo, Ilya Shestakov, announced at the WEF that production of only 100-110 thousand tons is expected by the end of the spring.
— This dynamic is also related to the characteristics of the salmon Putin. The approaches of Pacific salmon are cyclical from year to year and depend on a complex of natural factors, including climatic processes throughout the range of these species.
At the same time, Rosrybolovstvo sees no reason to believe that the domestic market will face a shortage of red fish and caviar. Restrictions on the export of these products are not currently being considered either, they stressed. Izvestia sent a request to the Ministry of Agriculture.
Fishermen are more concerned about the low-catch situation.
— The main reason is global warming, which has been going on since 2020. It has now reached its maximum, although 2027 is forecast to be even hotter. Because of this, a warm El Nino current is forming in the Pacific Ocean. For example, on Sakhalin, the water temperature rose to 26 degrees, whereas for pink salmon it should not exceed 14 degrees," Maxim Kozlov, president of the Association of Fishing Enterprises of the Sakhalin Region, told Izvestia.
According to him, due to the high temperature of the water, the salmon did not come to the spawning grounds and probably died.
— There is no need to talk about improving the climate situation in the coming years. Therefore, we probably lost such a segment of commercial fish as Pacific salmon. Some fish will come, but, most likely, catches will be very small, — Maxim Kozlov considers.
According to him, low catches will also affect fishing enterprises, which may face problems in fulfilling obligations under contracts for the use of fishing grounds. Thus, the fishermen of Kamchatka need to pay 120 billion rubles in four years, Sakhalin - 12 billion.
This opinion is shared by the head of the Association of Fishing Enterprises of Primorye, Georgy Martynov.
— We are witnessing the lowest salmon catch in the entire history of observations. No one expected Putin to turn out to be bad: initially, the forecasts were completely different. Of course, this situation will affect the market and the cost of products, including caviar," he told Izvestia.
How can the situation affect prices?
Manufacturers are noting an increase in prices. Thus, according to the data of the analytical center of the Fish Union (unites the companies Baltic Coast, Meridian, Russian Sea, etc.), on September 9, year-on-year, pink salmon caviar rose in price by 79%, to 18.6 thousand rubles per 1 kg, sockeye salmon — by 93%, to 17.2 thousand rubles, coho salmon — by 13%, to 18.9 thousand rubles, chum salmon — by 36%, to 13.6 thousand rubles.
— The results of this avalanche can be called abnormal, since they cannot be explained by the usual alternation of fishing and non-fishing years, as it happened before. After all, last year's fish catch was not very large," Alexey Rudko, founder of the Kuril Coast fish store chain, told Izvestia.
Rosrybolovstvo told Izvestia that the dynamics of wholesale prices for salmon products is influenced by a complex of market factors. These include seasonality, supply volume, logistics, production and processing costs, inflationary processes, and current demand.
— When there is a shortage of any product, the price of it always rises. This is an economic theory that is impossible to argue with," says economist Georgy Ostapkovich. — But for Russians, this is a traditional New Year's product, and many people save money for the celebration in advance.
Therefore, in his opinion, red caviar and fish will still remain on the festive tables of Russians. At the same time, consumers may partially switch to other types of products, for example, from wild salmon to artificially raised trout, which is currently not in short supply.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
