BarentsNews.com

A coordinating meeting on fisheries issues held recently in Moscow brought together representatives of all Russia’s maritime regions to decide on the size of industrial quotas for 2003.

Over the last few years, quotas allocated to Murmansk region have been steadily reduced. This time, due to good results of the spring fishing for capelin, Murmansk fishermen were given a 16 percent larger capelin quota. As for the size of cod quota, it was decided to keep it on the current level.

However, as the meeting was over, Kaliningrad representatives began to pave the way for reviewing the allocations in their favour. Worryingly enough for Murmansk, their attempts are likely to be a success.

Providing those fears prove true, Murmansk region might be hit with lowered quotas, leading to massive job cuts in the regional fish industry.