Railway workers and fishermen argued about tariffs

Rosrybolovstvo criticized the statement
JSC Russian Railways about the low tariffs that the railway has set for the transportation of fish from the Far East to the central part of Russia. The department indicated that this information is not true. Railway workers do not agree with the position of Rosrybolovstvo, but admit that transportation prices are indeed “seasonally” increased. Analysts are calling on participants in the transport chain to establish closer cooperation. However, the conflict will resolve itself at the end of the season, they add.

Rosrybolovstvo criticized the information disseminated by Russian Railways about consistently low prices for transporting fish from the Far East to the central part of Russia. The day before, the press center of JSC Russian Railways sent out a release stating that the price for transporting fish from Vladivostok is seasonal and ranges from 2.5 rubles. (during a period of decline in traffic) up to 5 rubles. (during the Putin period) for 1 kg for distances up to 4500 km and from 3.4 rubles. up to 8 rub. per 1 kg with a range of more than 4500 km.

Rosrybolovstvo assures that the real figures are completely different. “We checked and double-checked - now delivery of fish from Vladivostok costs almost 10 rubles, from Sakhalin - 14 rubles,” Vasily Sokolov, deputy head of Rosrybolovstvo, told Kommersant. Market participants (representatives of OJSC Dalryba, Primorets fish farm, etc.) in a conversation with Kommersant confirmed this information, without specifying the extent of losses.

Last week, Rosrybolovstvo addressed the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia with a request to check the “consolidated rise in prices” by carriers for fish delivery services throughout the country during the Putin period, but there was no response until yesterday. “There have been no actions from the Federal Antimonopoly Service yet, but I think that letters from enterprises will soon be sent and they will still understand why all carriers have such a consolidated increase in tariffs during the season when there is the greatest flow of cargo and, in theory, there should be discounts,” said Mr. Sokolov.

According to the Analytical Center of the Federal Fisheries Agency, by August 20, more than 340 thousand tons of Pacific salmon were caught in the Far East, which is one and a half times more than in the last odd (“non-fishy”) year of 2010. 116 thousand tons of products were exported less than in the same period last year. Since the beginning of the year, 382 thousand tons have been supplied to the domestic market, including 43 thousand tons of salmon fish products, which is twice the level of 2011.

In July 2012, the consumer price index for fish and seafood was 100.1%, since the beginning of the year - 101% (in July 2011 - 100.4%, since the beginning of the year - 107.6%).

JSC Russian Railways does not agree with the position of the fishing department. As Denis Tripelets, head of the corporate communications service of the Far Eastern Railway, told Kommersant, tariffs for the transportation of goods by public rail transport on the infrastructure of JSC Russian Railways are currently carried out in accordance with the established price list. “Tariffs for cargo transportation and infrastructure services are approved by the FEC of Russia. In addition, at the initiative of JSC Russian Railways, it was decided to establish exclusive tariffs for 2012 with a coefficient of 0.92 for the transportation of fish from the stations of the Oktyabrskaya, Kaliningradskaya, Far Eastern, and Northern Railways,” said Mr. Tripelets. The interlocutor confirmed the transportation prices indicated the day before in the company’s release. He added that the increase in delivery costs during the Putin period makes it possible to partially compensate for losses incurred during periods of recession, “when rates do not cover the cost of transportation, and the rolling stock is idle for eight months a year waiting for the Putin.”

Such debates are annual, analysts say. To avoid them, all participants in the transport chain, which also includes owners of rolling stock and other operating companies, in addition to Russian Railways, need to interact more closely, they add. OJSC Refservice (a subsidiary of OJSC Russian Railways) provides no more than 30% of transportation of fish products by rail. The rest is controlled by other transportation market operator companies, which set “their own” prices for rolling stock, related services, etc.,” says Eduard Klimov, chairman of the board of directors of the Fishnews media holding. According to him, in this situation, each side has its own truth. “Railway workers and carriers justify the annual downtime of trains, fishermen hope to make a financial reserve for the next fishing season and “close” the current one,” he believes. However, the participants are unlikely to be able to reach a compromise. “The dispute will end when the last carriage leaves for the central part of Russia,” the expert is sure.

However, the price of fish products for the end consumer is unlikely to change in any case, the expert adds. “The average retail price is influenced, first of all, by a large number of intermediaries and small wholesalers who completely manage the market for the sale and transportation of fish. If the share of tariffs in the final price of fish is about 10%, then the share of market markups reaches more than 50%,” notes the expert.

Ksenia Pisareva

Fish gets more expensive on the way