FAF agrees to foreign-built vessels for krill project

Russia’s Federal Agency for Fishery (FAF) has, in fact, agreed that it will still support the resumption of krill fishery despite proposed construction of vessels at foreign yards. Foreign-built second-hand boats are also considered as an extra option for the resumption of the fishery in the Antarctic by the Russians, reports Megafishnet.com.  

According to FAF head Ilya Shestakov quoted by Portnews, three domestic companies are interested in starting krill harvesting in the Antarctic zone.

The krill fishing in Antarctica will begin in the coming years, the timing depends on the degree of readiness of the fleet, with the construction to begin in 2021 while used ships may also be purchased.

"One company already has a ship project. Unfortunately, it will not be built in Russia, since even the possible allocation of subsidies will not cover the difference in cost. At the same time, the terms will be slightly shorter. If they start building this year, they will go to krill grounds in 2025 or 2026. We are discussing with other companies the possibility of buying old vessels in order to start krill harvesting earlier and not to miss the opportunities that the Russian Federation has to catch krill in Antarctica," Ilya Shestakov said.