BarentsNews.com

A review of the fishery results so far in 2002 was presented on open fishery assembly which was arranged by PINRO.

In July, the fishing enterprises of Murmansk region and other regions of North-West Russia have caught approximately 101 thousand tons of fish. The largest part of this volume was caught in Norwegian Sea. By now enterprises of Murmansk region have almost taken out all of their industrial quotas regarding major fishery species and now starting to utilize auction quotas. From the begging of the year 676 thousand tons of fish have fallen into fishermen’s net.

Despite of quite successful fishery operating, there are a lot of significant problems with regards to catch of saithe, herring and haddock. According to Murmansk fish manufacturers, the main reason for such problems is an undetermined policy carried by The State Fishery Committee of Russian Federation, particularly in concern with catch of haddock. According to a government resolution, only small-sized vessels are allowed to fish haddock in Exclusive Russian Economical Zone. But due to a shortage of processing capacity they are only capable of catching 300 – 400 tons, while the rest of industrial and auction quotas account to approximately 19 thousand tons.

Of course, The Fishery Committee of the Administration of Murmansk Region has addressed a telegram to The State Fishery Committee of Russian Federation with a request to change this resolution. But Moscow bureaucrats have denied making any changes.

Speaking at a fishery assembly, the chairman of The Association of Fish Manufacturers of the North, Gennady Stepahno, has proposed to send to The State Fishery Committee of Russian Federation a letter on behalf of management of biggest fishing enterprises of the region with demand to change the existing regulations and cancel restriction on catch of haddock.

Local fish manufacturers consider Moscow’s decision which allows fishing in exclusive economical zone to all foreign vessels including middle and big-sized as really insulting. In such a way foreign fishermen are being favoured compared to Russians. Furthermore, that fact can have negative consequences for the development of the fish industry of Murmansk region.