Herring as a fur coat: the most popular fish has risen in price by almost a third in a year

The average consumer price of herring, the most popular fish in Russia, was 375 rubles per 1 kg by September, which is 28% more than a year earlier, Izvestia learned. At the same time, wholesale prices for this fish are decreasing: Atlantic herring in Central Russia has fallen in price in wholesale by 14%, to 185 rubles per 1 kg, according to the National Fish Resource. The FAS said it was checking the validity of the price changes for fish products. The agency has already sent requests to 37 mining companies. What is the reason for the rise in price of herring in retail — in the material of Izvestia.

How much has the price of herring and other fish increased

The average consumer price of salted herring in January – September 2025 amounted to 375 rubles per 1 kg, which is 28% more than in the same period a year earlier, Izvestia calculated based on Rosstat data. By the end of September, the average price of herring in Russian retail showed a similar trend year-on-year and amounted to 389 rubles per 1 kg, according to department data. Since the beginning of the year, the growth rate of the cost of this fish has been 9%, while the inflation rate for the same period was 4.29%.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Eduard Kornienko

Other categories of such products are also becoming more expensive, but at a slower pace. Thus, the cost of salted, pickled and smoked fish in January – September increased by 25%, to 834 rubles per 1 kg compared to the same period last year, according to Rosstat data. Frozen butchered (with the exception of salmon) rose in price by an average of 24%, to 381 rubles per 1 kg, and undivided — by 28% at once, to 309 rubles per 1 kg. Live and chilled fish — by 17%, up to 358 rubles per 1 kg, according to statistics.

At the same time, wholesale prices for herring are declining. According to the National Fish Resource on October 13, the average cost of Atlantic herring in the center of Russia in wholesale amounted to 185 rubles per 1 kg (-14% since the beginning of the year), in the north-west of the country it fell by 20%, to 162 rubles per 1 kg. Pacific wheat in the Far East in wholesale cost 120 rubles per 1 kg (-20%) in early October.

Russia is a world leader in herring production, German Zverev, President of the All—Russian Association of Fisheries Enterprises, Entrepreneurs and Exporters (VARPE), recalled. The good situation in the field and clearly predictable demand in the domestic market ensured a decrease in selling prices after some growth in 2024, he noted.

Photo: TASS/Lev Fedoseev

The catch of herring has increased by a quarter since the beginning of the year, to 455.5 thousand tons, according to the National Fish Resource. The total volume of fish caught from January to October 13, 2025 amounted to 3.8 million tons, which is 3% less than in the same period of 2024, estimates the National Fish Resource. The catch of pollock increased by 4.1%, to 1.8 million tons, and cod decreased by 19.4%, to 236.8 thousand tons.

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Why is herring getting more expensive in retail

The retail cost of herring and other types of fish on the shelf is increasing due to rising costs for logistics, storage and processing, said Artur Gafarov, director of the Institute for the Development of Entrepreneurship and Economics. According to him, the costs of the wage fund are increasing, and the marginality of production of this type of product is decreasing — by a quarter over the past three years. In addition, fuel, electricity and transportation costs are increasing, the expert added.

Pricing policy in the retail segment also plays a role, he noted. According to him, when demand is stable or growing, the retail value, as a rule, does not decrease. The number of intermediaries also leads to higher prices, he noted. The retail price structure for herring is as follows: raw materials (catch) — 25%, processing and packaging — 20%, transportation and storage — 15%, wholesale margin — 10%, retail margin — 30%, explained Artur Gafarov.

Photo: TASS/Evgeny Kurskov

The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) conducted an analysis of the price structure of Pacific herring, a representative of the service told Izvestia. According to him, the most important role in pricing is played by the link of intermediaries between the fish producer and the trading network. There can be up to six intermediaries in the distribution chain, and their margins can range from 5 to 50%, he said. Thus, the cost of products in the process of their movement may increase by 2-3.5 times, the FAS representative added.

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The Antimonopoly Service checks the validity of price changes for these goods, the Izvestia interlocutor clarified. The agency has already sent requests to 37 fishing organizations and is currently analyzing information on primary processing and buyers, data on the volume of products sold, on the actual production and production volumes, sales and cost structure, said a representative of the FAS.

A representative of Magnit declined to comment. X5, Lenta, Verny, and Auchan did not respond to Izvestia's request. The same was done in Meridian, Santa Bremor (the Russian Sea brand), Baltic Coast (the brand of the same name, Mare, Fishnet), Fosforel (Atlantic).

Photo: TASS/Lev Fedoseev

Izvestia sent inquiries to the Ministry of Agriculture, Rosrybolovstvo and the Association of Retail Trade Companies (ACORT).

Herring is the most popular fish in Russia, so the work of fishing enterprises is primarily focused on the needs of the domestic market, German Zverev points out. It ranks second in terms of retail sales, only slightly behind canned food, according to a joint study by VARPE and Nielsen conducted in early 2025. So, by March of this year, the share of herring in the "fish basket" in physical terms was 21.5%, and in monetary terms — 16%, the study says.

The demand for herring in Russia remains consistently high, agrees Artur Gafarov. Consumer behavior towards fish products allows retailers to maintain or even increase prices without fear of declining sales, he added.