Russia exported more than 164,000 tons of salmon in 2011, up 64 percent from 2010, according to Alexander Savelyov, the head of the Federal Fisheries Agency public relations department, Interfax reported Monday.
Russian fishermen caught more than 520,000 tons of salmon, "just under the record set in 2009 of 530,000 tons," he said.
China bought more than 60 percent of Russia's salmon exports, Japan purchased 23 percent and Korea 12 percent. Frozen fish accounted for 97.5 percent of exports, while the remainder of exports were chilled. Imports of chilled and frozen salmon and trout increased 20 percent in 2011 to 151,000 tons, largely due to a 31.1 percent rise in chilled salmon from Norway to 94,200 tons.
(MT)