Russian pink salmon caviar prices fall 7% as Far East catch reaches 33,000 tonnes
The average Russian retail price of pink salmon caviar has fallen 7% year on year to 9,900 rubles per kilogram. The Fish Union links the decline to a growing Far East salmon catch, with pink salmon accounting for 33,000 tonnes, or 55% of the total.
Pink salmon caviar moves against the market
The average retail price of pink salmon caviar in Russia has declined 7% from a year earlier to 9,900 rubles per kilogram, according to figures published by the Fish Union. Caviar made from the fresh 2026 catch is considerably more expensive, with sellers asking an average of 15,800 rubles per kilogram.
The decline separates pink salmon from the other main varieties of Pacific salmon caviar, all of which have recorded double-digit price growth. The difference reflects an uneven supply picture across individual salmon species rather than a broad reduction in the value of red caviar.
Sockeye, chum and coho prices rise
Sockeye salmon caviar has risen 17% year on year to an average of 11,400 rubles per kilogram. Product from the current fishing season is priced at as much as 14,700 rubles per kilogram. Chum salmon caviar has gained 14%, taking its average price to 11,200 rubles, while caviar associated with the fresh catch is offered at 16,300 rubles per kilogram.
Coho salmon caviar has become 13% more expensive, reaching a selling price of 12,600 rubles per kilogram. These increases leave the average price of pink salmon caviar below the corresponding averages for sockeye, chum and coho. However, the 15,800-ruble price for fresh pink salmon caviar remains above the current-season figure quoted for sockeye and below that for chum.
The gap between average retail prices and quotations for caviar from the 2026 catch indicates that harvest timing and product age are important variables for buyers. Retailers and processors must manage older inventories alongside higher-priced fresh output, while consumers face materially different prices within the same species.
Pink salmon dominates the Far East catch
The Fish Union attributed the fall in pink salmon prices to fishing dynamics in Russia's Far East. The expanding Pacific salmon catch reached 60,000 tonnes, of which pink salmon supplied 33,000 tonnes. That represented 55% of the total and made pink salmon the largest source of new raw material by a wide margin.
Chum and sockeye catches were much closer to each other. Fishermen landed 13,700 tonnes of chum salmon, equivalent to 22.8% of the total, and 13,000 tonnes of sockeye, or 21.7%. The remaining species contributed only small volumes: the Chinook catch stood at 146 tonnes, coho at 47 tonnes and masu salmon at 43 tonnes. Their respective shares were 0.2%, 0.1% and 0.1%.
For caviar processors and distributors, the species composition of the catch matters as much as the headline volume. Abundant pink salmon supplies can increase the availability of its roe and put pressure on established retail prices. Smaller catches of other species limit the same effect in their market segments, helping explain why sockeye, chum and coho caviar continued to become more expensive even as pink salmon caviar declined.
