With the full launch of the 2026 A-season pollock fishing season in the Sea of Okhotsk, the price of frozen pollock raw materials in Russia witnessed the usual seasonal decline at the beginning of the year. Industry insiders point out that although prices have declined month-on-month, the overall level still remains at a high level over the past decade, indicating that market demand remains stable.
Entering the first week of January, the quotations for 25+ Russian frozen pollock (head and innards removed) offshore to China (CFR China) dropped by approximately $85 per ton compared to the previous week. By the end of 2025, driven by tight supply and limited raw material inventories, the price of pollock had approached a historical high. As Russian fishing boats return to their operation areas one after another and supply gradually recovers, market prices have undergone rational adjustments.
Russian fishing companies said that after the Christmas holiday, fishing vessels have been gradually put into operation in the Sea of Okhotsk, and some exporters plan to resume shipments from mid-January. Chinese processors have been making their first round of purchases one after another before the Spring Festival to meet the production and export order demands after the holiday. Traders believe that there is still a small room for short-term price fluctuations, but it is expected to remain stable within a relatively high range.
The Russian Ministry of Agriculture confirmed that the total permitted catch (TAC) of pollock in the country for 2026 is 2.42 million tons, which is approximately 1.7% higher than the revised quota for 2025. Among them, the planned catch in the Sea of Okhotsk is 1.1 million tons, the quota for Pacific herring in the North Okhotsk and West Kamchatka districts is 426,200 tons, and the quota for Pacific cod is 21,800 tons. The fishery authority stated that the current quota is basically in line with the operational capacity, and it is expected that the actual catch will remain at around 2 million tons.
The latest data from the Russian Federal Fisheries Agency (Rosrybolovstvo) shows that the country's wild fish catch is expected to reach approximately 4.6 million tons in 2025, with the Far East region's catch reaching 3.57 million tons, continuing to hold a dominant position. The catch in the northern fishing grounds was approximately 313,000 tons, while that in the western fishing grounds was 77,100 tons. The catch from operations in the exclusive economic zones of other countries and international waters reached 502,700 tons, an increase of 4,900 tons compared with the previous year.
Despite the fact that pollock production has reached a new high in recent years, Russia's overall catch in 2025 is still expected to decline by approximately 5.6% compared to the previous year. The decline in the Far East region was approximately 4%, while in the northern fishing areas, the production of Atlantic cod dropped by more than 30%, which had a significant impact on the national total. Data shows that the output of pollock will reach 2.15 million tons in 2025, representing a year-on-year growth of 8.7%. The output of Pacific herring increased by nearly 30% to 575,400 tons, and that of Pacific cod rose by 7.5% to 114,500 tons.
In terms of price, the overall price of white fish in Russia has risen, while the price of mid-upper layer fish has dropped. By the end of last year, the average price of pollock in the Far East was 143 rubles per kilogram, an increase of 3.6% compared with the beginning of the year. The price of Pacific herring has dropped by 30% to 105 rubles per kilogram. The price of Pacific cod is 405 rubles per kilogram, up 15.7% year-on-year. The price of cod in the northern region remained at 490 rubles per kilogram, a year-on-year decrease of 8.4%.
Industry insiders point out that the current decline in pollock prices is A seasonal adjustment. With the release of production in Season A, it is expected that the price will still have room to fall in the short term, but the trend of operating in a high range remains unchanged. Russian pollock remains one of the main raw material sources for the global white fish market, and its stable price has a significant impact on both the processing markets in China and Europe.
