Ambitious projects on commodity sturgeon farming to be launched in Russia's Olympic region
Several big projects on commodity fish farming have been recently announced in the south of Russia (the Olympic region of Kransodarsky Krai, Astrakhan and other regions). The region is the nation's leader in the sector, but a noticeable boost of commodity sturgeon farming and production of farmed caviar would provide for stronger state support, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/.
One the region's new projects called Caviar of Kuban provides for sturgeon farming in pools located in the town of Goryachy Klyuch located in Krasnodarsky Krai (Olympics region). After reaching the project capacity by 2017 the company's annual output will amount to 96 MT of caviar and 1,200 MT of final products. The total investments into the project are estimated at RUR2.6 billion.
Another project on black sturgeon production has been recently announced in Dagestan by Saint-Petersburg-based company Amsar. The project with the investments into construction of a fish farm estimated at RUR600 million provides for annual production of 25 MT of caviar and 500 MT of market-size fish. In March 2012 the first stage of the fish farm construction is to be completed, and in the beginning of 2013 the company plans to bring the whole farming complex into operation.
In Astrakhan Region a complex for sturgeon farming and caviar production will appear in the next few years. Now the respective project at the estimated value of RUR2.8 billion is at the final stage of expertise, after which it will get funding.
In September 2011 a sturgeon farming project has been announced in Kalmykia. By the year 2013 the republic is planning to launch a fish complex for production of 3 million sturgeons and 10 million small freshwater fish per year. The investments into the project are estimated at RUR70 million.
State support
At the stage of active aquaculture development in the region the farms cannot be viable without state support. Many projects which are underway now are supported by local authorities. For instance, the first mentioned project of Caviar of Kuban is practically vital for the town where there are no large plants, therefore it has been strongly supported by the governor and the region's authorities. The support is granted in the form of softer rates for land lease and in the future the project's makers hope to get compensation of bank loan interests.
In Dagestan Amsar's project has been included into the list of the republic's priority projects which will enable the organizers to enjoy a number of financial preferences.
At the same time, the fish farmers say that the government support should be not only financial, but legislative as well. First of all, it is necessary to build more serious customs barriers for imported fish, they think. Second, the aquaculture sector is anticipating approval of the federal Law on Aquaculture which has already been read by Lower Parliament (State Duma) but is yet to be finally approved.
Background
Ban for sturgeon fishery in the Caspian Sea has pushed up development of sturgeon caviar production in artificial conditions with the biggest success won by the closed water supply technology. As a result, already in 2011 Russia was allowed to export 150 kilos of black caviar.
Moderately positive dynamics in commodity fish farming in the south of Russia has been observed for several years. Farms in Rostov Region have been contributing 12-17% to the nation's total output of market-size fish (in particular in 2010 the region's companies produced 17,400 MT of farmed fish). Astakhan farms culture 16,100 MT of fish, in 2010 the production is expected to rise to 17,000 MT. Positive trend is also observed in Krasnodarsky Krai (Olympics capital Sochi).