The current state of fish market in Ukraine

Abstract

The fishing industry is an important component of the economy of Ukraine at the present stage of development. The development and implementation of the innovative technologies in fish farming and fish processing require mandatory and ongoing analysis of a fish market infrastructure. The demand for food protein, which is characterized by a balanced amino acid content is provided by fish and seafood at 20–30 %. The aim of this work was to understand a current state of a fish products market in Ukraine, its pricing and consumption. Based on the specialized literature the evaluation of a current state of fish and fish products consumption in Ukraine and own studies of the price category of fish products in Ukraine in recent years were conducted. We studied fish and fish products consumption per year per capita in Ukraine over the last 20 years, assortment of fish in Ukraine, the import of fish and fishery products by species, the product prices in UAH per kg both in previous years and today. According to international medical standards the annual consumption of fish and seafood should be 20 kg per person. At the same time in Ukraine according to the State Statistics Committee on the 01.01.2019 14.5 kg of fish and seafood came out per capita. In 2018–2019 herring traditionally remained a leader of consumption in Ukraine. Ukraine also imported such species of fish: mackerel, hake, herring, salmon, pilchards, pollack, capelin, sardines, notating. In addition pangasius, shrimp, blue whiting, mussels, squid, saury, Jack mackerel, sea bass, tuna, flounder, anchovies, smelt, cod, salmon and other species of fish, caviar and seafood are imported in Ukraine. The investigated assortment of fish in Ukraine is represented both domestic and imported products. The domestic production are: carp, pike, capelin, herring, mackerel, sprat, the imported products are: flounder, perch, pangasius, salmon, butter, hake, Pollock, capelin, nototenia, herring, mackerel, cod, tuna, tilapia (sole), sea trout, whiting and so forth. It is established that the condition of a fish market in Ukraine is affected by an unstable economic and political situation in the country, low solvency of the population, corruption and the high payables of the enterprises. In Ukraine a tendency towards a decrease in the volume of fish and fish products consumption by the population of Ukraine is observed annually, which is a consequence of the decline in fish catch and fish production, depreciation of fixed assets and a lack of financial support to the fishing industry.