The authorities failed to increase fish consumption to the recommended 28 kg per person per year, as demanded by President Vladimir Putin. By the end of 2025, Russians on average ate only 24 kg – 2.4% less than a year earlier and 10.9% lower than in 2023, according to (https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/8463677) the Fish Union data cited by “Kommersant”. The main reasons were the low availability of fish products and consumers switching to austerity mode, says Dmitry Krasnov, managing director of the competence center at Rexoft Consulting in the agro-industrial complex.
According to Rosstat data, frozen filleted fish (except salmon) rose in price by 17.6% to 416 rubles per kilogram as of January. Salted, marinated and smoked fish – by 18.3% (924 rubles per kg). Live and chilled fish – by 12.5% (383 rubles per kg). Frozen squid added 19.3% (645 rubles per kg), fish fillet – 10% (655 rubles per kg), natural canned food – 12.9% (702 rubles per kg). The final cost is largely influenced by packaging, logistics and the retail chain’s markup, notes the Fish Union. For example, in January, freshly frozen filleted pollock cost 261 rubles per kg in central Russia, although the fisherman set a price at 54% of this amount (141 rubles per kg). As Russians’ purchasing power declines, it’s more profitable for producers to export the catch, says Albina Koryagina, a business development partner at Neo. “Consumers are not ready to pay two to three times more for pollock fillet, which makes the export of raw material more profitable,” she explains (The Moscow Times).
