Russian Government approving longterm development program for Kamchatka fishery sector

The Russian Government has approved a development program for Kamchatka's fishery sector in 2010-2012, the program aimed at expanding the resource base, developing onshore processing sector, raising efficiency of the state management in the sphere of fisheries and conservation of aquatic biological resources, reports www.fishnet-russia.com (www.fishnet.ru) with reference to Kamchatka.Gov.Ru.

According to Kamchatka's Ministry of Fisheries, mono-product focus of the region's economy makes it dependent on the current condition of the fishery industry. The fishery industry contributes more than 50% of the region's industrial output and more than 90% to the region's export potential.

There are more than 350 companies now working in Kamchatka, of which 215 firms run own fleet, fishing inclusive. The fishing efforts, including mosquito fleet, exceed 500 ships, of which 89% are worn out ageing more than 15 years.

Exploitation of onshore processing facilities also remains fairly low. Canning facilities are exploited at less than 8%, freezing facilities are used at 50% and filleting - at 20%. As a result, the main share in the region's commodity food output belongs to seafood with low level of processing, in particular, frozen fish (63%).

Along with conduct of research surveys aimed at evaluation of stocks and introduction of new hydrocoles into the list of commercial species the program also provides for the following developments in various spheres:

• aqua and mariculture,
• onshore processing complex,
• construction and purchase of inshore fishing fleet, as well as catch landing fleet,
• refurbishment of fish processing facilities,
• increase of value added production output,
• development of resource potential,
• creation of information and analytical base of the province's fishery complex,
• development and introduction of methods on estimating efficiency of exploitation of aquatic bioresourses.

The total investments into the program during the period of three years are forecasted to exceed 3.5 billion RUB, of which 79.4 million are to be sourced from the province's budget and 4.43 billion RUB are to be taken from the non-budget funds.

Realisation of the program's measures is supposed to enable an increase of aquatic catches to 850,000 tonnes by the year 2012, raise the share of the fishery complex in the total volume of commodity output to 60%, increase seafood production output to 775,000 tonnes, raise the output of onshore fish plants to 240,000 tonnes and value added production to 11,000 tonnes. Besides, the program's makers hope to decrease the share of primarily processed seafood to 76% of the total volume, raise per capita consumption in the region to 31 kilos, tax disbursements to RUB2.4 per kilo of fish and increase the workforce in the industry by more than 2000 people.