Russian fish processing plant in Spitsbergen to produce seafood for export markets

Russian oil and gas investor has been actively developing a project on construction of a fish processing plant in Spitsbergen and this is not going to become a symbolic object for geopolitical purposes but rather a real business project based on logistical advantages of the plant's location close to the fishing grounds and main whitefish markets, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/.

In the near future the Russian Government will look into allocation of a land site for the plant. Then, the project will have to go through the Norwegian ecological expertise and lots of other procedural issues, but the process itself is hopefully irreversible as this time interests of business and state coincide.

According to the project, the plant will produce fillets both from chilled and frozen raw fish. All products will go to export markets. Cod fillets production from chilled raw will enable owners to avoid extra costs of sea freezing, defrosting (with accompanying loss of water and weight), use of phosphates and reach higher product quality as compared to double frozen fillets.

Even PST wet fish trawlers can operate in the plant's vicinity, but as it will be not always profitable to call at port to land catch there, the project makers think of a combined fishing scheme providing for landings of chilled and frozen fish. Fresh fish is certainly a much better raw material for filleting, but the problem with available fresh fish stock still exists therefore the plant will have to process frozen fish as well.