Good prospects for aquaculture in Murmansk

In the meantime, today there are only eight fish farms in the area and their total production volume amounted to 2000 tonnes of Atlantic salmon and trout in 2009 and 5200 tonnes in 2010. Such large processors like Russian Sea Group and Baltiysky Bereg are ready to invest into Atlantic salmon farming in Murmansk.

Along with salmons, scientists say that Murmansk waters are fit for culture of such exotic species as sea scallops and urchins.

At present Russian aquaculture industry produces about 130,000-140,000 tonnes of farmed fish per year. However, the sector's huge potential remains underexploited due a number of reasons including lack of legislation, shortage of high quality stocking material and excessive dependence on imported aqua feeds.

To help settle the latter problem the state program on aquaculture development in 2012-2017 provides for construction of six feed processing plants with total capacity of 400 tonnes per year.

Besides, in March 2011 a draft Law on Aquaculture was approved by the Russian Parliament at the first reading. According to the draft, the nation's Federal Fisheries Agency will provide financial support to aquaculture projects as of 2012. In particular, the authorities will partly defray the expenses for spawning stocks, feeds and etc.