Seafood-oriented special port zone to be built in Kamchatka

In May 2008 a project of the new special port zone in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski (capital of Kamchatka) was presented to the Government of the region. The special port zone in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski is making a special focus on biological resources and the draft plan was also submitted to the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.

According to the Kamchatka local bodies, 17 projects of special port zones from other regions of Russia were also submitted to the Ministry for consideration but only that of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski will be biological resources oriented.

Under the project it is planned to build modern seafood processing factories, vessel repair facilities and the Russian Far East Fish Exchange (wholesale fish market). The fish exchange operation will help control the volumes of caught seafood in the Russian Far East EEZ and will secure the transparency of sale operations to reduce the share of shadow transactions.

The Russia's State Fisheries Committee has already approved the idea of building of special biological resources economic zone on the territory of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski. The reason is that the economy of Kamchatka region is fish industry oriented (the share of seafood in domestic regional product amounts to 21.4%) and 54.6% of salmon in the Russian Far East is fished by Kamchatka-based companies.

Special port zone in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski will boost the economic development of the region and will make new working places for more than 4,500 people (till 2024). The aim of the project is to develop value-added processing of seafood products, expand of existing facilities, modernize of equipment and the whole production process (development of quality of production and services).

In the special biological resources zone Avacha they plan to create big fish processing complexes that will include building of cargo and transport terminals, processing and ship repair facilities, warehouses and fish exchange and freezing facilities (32,000 tonnes capacity with further upgrade to 47,000 tonnes). The project provides for the extension of the existing landing quay as well as building of the new ones and modernization of production facilities.

Thus, upon implementation the new special port zone would stand on a par with the largest fish ports of the world.

The main residents of the special fish port zone are to be the four biggest companies of Kamchatka: OAO Okeanrybflot Company, ZAO Akros Company, OAO Narody Severa Company and OAO Kamchatrybprom Company.

According to preliminary estimates, the capacity of canned and marinated seafood production is to amount to 850 000 nominal cans of fish per 24 hours, of convenient products - 152 tonnes per 24 hours, of smoked/dried products - 35 tonnes and of deli products - 25 tonnes per 24 hours. In 10 - 15 year period the processing capacity is planned to be more than doubled. This will help to increase production capacity up to 400,000 tonnes per year. The incomes to the budget is thus to amount to no less than RUB75 billion. It is planned that in 10 years the costs of special port zone will be paid back.

The special port zone Avacha is planned to be located in the North of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski. The whole area of the berths will reach 3.64 square km. The depth of the Avacha Bay will allow operation of practically all types of vessels. There is urban area nearby and this will help to reduce costs for building infrastructure and approach lines. This territory has no recreational functions in the city and thus will not harm the lives of the city population. The total area of the zone will reach 43.1 hectares (157 hectares in perspective).

The winners of the competition for building regional special economic port zones will be announced in June 2008.