Russian Fish Oil: Standards, Production and Export / Articles

Fish oil is a product obtained from fish and marine mammals and used for food, pharmaceutical and feed purposes. It is one of the richest natural sources of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) of the omega-3 family, including eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids, as well as fat-soluble vitamins A and D. For the B2B segment, fish oil matters both as an ingredient with regulated quality parameters and as a product around which deep processing and export potential are being formed in Russia.

Quality Standards: GOST 8714-2014 and GOST 9393-82

Requirements for food-grade fish oil in Russia and EAEU countries are established by GOST 8714-2014 "Food-grade fat from fish and aquatic mammals. Specifications", put into effect on 1 July 2015 by Rosstandart order No. 687-st of 3 July 2014. The standard applies to food-grade fat from fish and aquatic mammals intended for food purposes, for the production of biologically active food supplements and for industrial processing.

For feed (veterinary) fish oil, GOST 9393-82 "Veterinary fat from fish and marine mammals. Specifications" applies, put into effect on 1 January 1983. The standard applies to fat produced from fish and marine mammals, natural and with added vitamins, intended for veterinary purposes and for feeding agricultural animals and poultry.

Key controlled parameters for food-grade fat include:

Organoleptic characteristics - transparency, colour, taste and odour characteristic of fresh fat without foreign flavours.
Acid value - an indicator of freshness and absence of hydrolytic spoilage.
Peroxide value - a characteristic of oxidative spoilage.
Mass fraction of unsaponifiable substances - regulated to confirm product purity.
Content of vitamins A and D - for fat positioned as a vitamin concentrate.
Safety indicators - content of toxic elements, pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls and radionuclides in accordance with TR CU 021/2011.

For feed fat, GOST 9393-82 establishes requirements for acid and peroxide values, moisture and volatile matter content, as well as the presence of antioxidants. Veterinary fat intended for animal feeding must comply with veterinary and sanitary requirements and be accompanied by a veterinary certificate.

For export supplies, quality must comply with the importing country's requirements, which in most cases are oriented towards Codex Alimentarius standards, the European Pharmacopoeia (for pharmaceutical use) or national veterinary norms. Russian producers entering foreign markets ensure compliance with both Russian and international norms.

Classification and Supply Forms

Fish oil is classified according to several criteria. By raw material source, fat from cod liver (traditional "fish oil" with high vitamin A and D content), fat from muscle tissue and subcutaneous layer (salmon, herring, whale), and fat from processing waste are distinguished. By degree of purification, unrefined (technical and feed), refined deodorized food-grade, and highly purified omega-3 concentrate in the form of re-esterified triglycerides (rTG) are distinguished.

Several product forms are represented on the Russian market:

Liquid food-grade fat - in cans, barrels, IBC containers; used for industrial processing and dietary supplement production.
Encapsulated fat - in soft gelatin capsules; a finished form for retail and pharmaceuticals.
Omega-3 concentrate in rTG form - a highly purified form with increased EPA and DHA content; produced by re-esterification technology.
Feed (veterinary) fat - in tank cars, IBC containers and cans; used in compound feed for aquaculture, agricultural animals and fur-bearing animals.

The segment of highly purified concentrates is developing most dynamically: it is in this niche that Russia is implementing import substitution and export expansion projects.

Russian Production: Volumes and Regional Structure

According to Alto Consulting Group, production of fats and oils and their fractions from fish and marine mammals in Russia (OKPD2 10.41.12) in 2025 amounted to 19,321.5 tonnes, 33.2% below the 2024 level. The absolute decline for the year amounted to 9,610.0 tonnes. Despite the reduction, the industry retains a developed raw material base and processing capacity.

Regional production structure in 2025:

Far Eastern Federal District - 11,466.7 tonnes (59.3% of total Russian output).
Central Federal District - 4,622.8 tonnes.
Northwestern Federal District - 2,179.4 tonnes.
Southern Federal District - 551.7 tonnes.
Siberian Federal District - 485.7 tonnes.
Volga Federal District - 15.1 tonnes.

The concentration of output in the Far Eastern Federal District is explained by proximity to the main fishing and primary processing areas. The presence of significant volumes in the Central and Northwestern districts indicates a developed processing base and logistics capabilities allowing work with raw materials coming from other regions.

Key Projects and Capacities

Omega-Si (Magadan) - Russia's first plant for processing and refining fish oil with subsequent production of encapsulated products with high omega-3 content. The enterprise has been operating since 2023 and produces 2,200 tonnes of products annually, of which 2,000 tonnes are refined fish oil and 200 tonnes are re-esterified encapsulated triglycerides. This is Russia's first enterprise producing rTG from white fish of the Sea of Okhotsk - sardine and herring. Products are manufactured under the NORD MILE brand. In 2025, the plant doubled production: since the beginning of the year, 500 tonnes of fish oil - veterinary and food-grade - have been produced.

Gidrostroy (Sakhalin) - under the second stage of the investment quota programme, a plant was built with a capacity of more than 180 tonnes of fish products and about 80 tonnes of fish meal and oil per day. The enterprise processes pollock, cod, herring, pink salmon and chum salmon. In total, 28 fish processing plants have been built under the investment quota programme, with 8 more projects in progress.

New complex in Krasnopakhorskoye District, Moscow - planned for launch by 2029. Production capacity will allow annual output of up to 2,000 tonnes of fish oil purified from impurities and heavy metals, as well as more than 200 tonnes of premium highly purified omega-3 - re-esterified triglycerides. Production and engineering facilities, a laboratory, warehouses and packaging areas will be located on one site.

Mobile and ship-based units - St. Petersburg company Morskie Kompleksnye Sistemy has developed and manufactured Russia's first ship-based unit for processing primary fish processing waste to produce fish meal and oil. The company offers three standard sizes with capacities of 30, 60 and 90 tonnes per day. Such solutions allow raw materials to be processed directly at fishing sites, reducing logistics losses and increasing processing depth.

Exports: Geography and Dynamics

Russian fish oil exports are oriented primarily towards Asian markets. In 2025, the Kamchatka branch of the FSBI NTSBRSP, together with Rosselkhoznadzor, conducted a successful assessment of a fish processing enterprise that confirmed its status as an exporter of fish oil to China and the Republic of Korea. The assessment covered ensuring safe production, storage and sale of fish oil and feed fish meal.

In January 2025, the Chinese market opened for Kamchatka Omega-3: Russian fishermen gained the opportunity to supply salmon omega-3 to China. Tymlatsky Fish Combine received permission in December 2024 to export encapsulated omega-3 to China and began supplies in 2025. In April 2025, Rosselkhoznadzor included Russian producers of feed additives, fish meal and fish oil in the lists of suppliers authorised to export to China.

Export geography also includes European Union countries: the enterprise assessment was carried out for compliance with official EU documents. Feed fish oil is supplied to CIS countries and the Asia-Pacific region, where it is used in aquaculture compound feed.

China remains the key demand driver: according to Chinese customs data, fish oil imports to China grew at an outpacing rate in 2025, and Russian producers compete with suppliers from Peru, Chile and Southeast Asian countries due to the proximity of Far Eastern plants and quality stability.

Logistics and Supply Conditions

Food-grade fish oil is supplied in hermetic packaging - metal cans, barrels, IBC containers and glass bottles for retail. The product is sensitive to oxygen, light and heat: oxidative processes lead to an increase in peroxide value and deterioration of organoleptic characteristics. Optimal storage conditions are temperatures from 0 to +15 °C in a dark place in hermetic packaging. For long-term storage, nitrogen inertisation and the addition of antioxidants (e.g., tocopherols) are recommended.

Feed (veterinary) fat is transported in tank cars, IBC containers and cans. Protection from moisture and contamination is critical; sea transportation uses chemical tankers or specialised containers. For Russian producers supplying products from plants in Magadan, Sakhalin, Kaliningrad and Moscow Oblasts, the key sales markets remain the Far Eastern, Central and Northwestern federal districts, where most processing capacity is concentrated.

Export supplies to China and Korea are carried out by sea through Far Eastern ports, to EU countries - through Baltic and Northwestern ports. Financial support for the transaction may include letters of credit, bank guarantees and cargo insurance. For long-term contracts, it is advisable to fix a mechanism for adjusting terms when raw material costs, logistics tariffs and exchange rate fluctuations change.

Prospects and Selection Factors

The Russian fish oil market is at a stage of structural transformation: from a predominantly feed and technical segment to deep processing and production of highly purified omega-3 concentrates. Key success factors are the modernisation of processing capacities, increased depth of raw material processing, entry into Asian markets and compliance with international quality and safety standards.

For buyers, not only price per kilogram matters but also the type of oil (food-grade or feed), degree of purification (unrefined, refined, rTG concentrate), raw material source (cod liver, salmon muscle tissue), acid and peroxide values, EPA and DHA content, storage and packaging conditions, supply chain reputation, and availability of laboratory confirmation of compliance and a veterinary certificate for export batches. Understanding standards, technological differences and market structure helps reduce risks and build long-term contracts.

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