At all times, fish has been a staple food. Fishing is one of the oldest human occupations along with hunting, gathering and cultivating the land. Some ancient tribes devoted their whole time to fishing, which was their main source of livelihood.
In modern Russia, there are regions, in particular, Primorsky Krai, in which the extraction of marine resources and fish processing are one of the most important segments of the economy and food economy.
The glorious past of Soviet fishing
During the Soviet Union, the fishing industry developed rapidly.
The country constantly occupied one of the first places in the world in the extraction of aquatic biological resources - a tenth of all the caught marine inhabitants accounted for the USSR. Such indicators were possible due to serious investments in the industry, in particular, in the construction of a fleet for the extraction and processing of fish.
However, since the beginning of the 90s, as a result of economic shocks following the collapse of the USSR, there has been a serious degradation of the fishing industry. Volumes of production were greatly reduced, the state paid little attention to the industry.
Location of fisheries in Primorye
If you look at the map of Primorye, you can see that the main available fish processing capacities are concentrated in the south of the region. But the region clearly lacks these capacities. They are not able to absorb the amount of raw materials currently exported, which is damaging the Russian economy. Existing enterprises - the Far Eastern Fish Processing Plant, Yuzhmorrybflot, Global Trade, Fish Day and others will be strengthened.
On the territory of the ASEZ (territory of advanced development) "Nadezhdinskaya" it is planned to create a huge fish processing complex with an area of six and a half hectares. In 2018, it is planned to begin construction, and completion should take place in 2022. Enterprises for the production of frozen semi-finished products and ingredients will be built to create multivitamin complexes. In addition, fish feed will be produced.
The situation with the fishing fleet
Until recently, Primorsky Krai experienced a severe shortage of fishing capacities. Soviet equipment is outdated and worn out, there are practically no new vessels in use. However, now, as part of the plan to create a fish cluster in the south of Primorye, a large-scale fleet renewal is planned. South Korea is ready to help in this Russia.
The government is also working in this direction. In November 2017, a meeting was held in Seoul between the Minister of Development of the Far East, Alexander Galushka, and the President of the Korea Institute of Shipbuilding. Based on the results of negotiations in the Far East, a branch of the Korean Institute is to open soon and investments will be attracted to upgrade the fishing fleet.
South Korea is a recognized world leader in the construction of ships for the fishing industry, so we can say that the future of Russian fishermen is in good hands.
Fleet Maintenance
Creating a powerful fishing fleet is not a solution to the problem. An equally important task is the repair and maintenance of ships. Currently, steps are being taken in this direction. A plan has been developed for the creation and development of marine terminals for servicing fishing vessels. It includes activities laid down for a period up to 2030.
Economic situation
Due to the lack of fish processing capacities, fishermen of the Primorsky Territory are currently forced to export raw materials to China, which processes it and sells the finished product back to Russia, but at a much higher price (with a high added value). The goal of creating a fish cluster in southern Primorye is to fundamentally reverse this situation. Russian raw materials should be sent for processing to domestic enterprises so that the population has a domestic product at a lower price than a similar imported one. The added value also remains within the country.
The main platform for creating a fish cluster in the south of Primorye is to become the Nadezhdinskaya ASEZ (territory of priority development). This is a production and logistics site located in the village of Novy, near Vladivostok.
To implement the entire project, more than twenty billion rubles of investments are required. At the moment, they expressed a desire to participate in the creation of a fish cluster in southern Primorye, China and South Korea.
Subject to the implementation of all the plans on the map of Primorye in the not so distant future will appear the largest fishery center, which will cover the entire south of the region.
Current plans
Currently, the restoration of the fishing industry is among the most important state tasks. Among other measures, it is planned to create a large fish cluster in the south of Primorye. As far back as March 2013, Russian President Vladimir V. Putin instructed the regional administration to present him with an option for implementing this project. The development was commissioned by the Japanese Nomura Institute, which in 2014 presented the plan, but it was declared insolvent.
But already in 2016, Rosrybolovstvo presented its own concept for the development of the Far Eastern fisheries.
Given that since 2014, the Russian economy began to work in the direction of import substitution in all major sectors, the main goal was to increase the supply of fish products to the Russian domestic market at the lowest possible prices.
Fish farming in Primorye
In connection with the import substitution program, the situation with fish farming can be noted. In the Primorsky Territory at the moment, more than 300 fish-farming sites have been formed, which are distributed among private fish processing companies through auctions. This brings good income to the budget of the Russian Federation - in just two days of August 2017, 21 plots were allocated, while the budget received more than 113 million rubles. In terms of all sections, the amount is impressive.
However, unfortunately, not all entrepreneurs are conscientious in their duties, and therefore the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture Regulation of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia had to develop a separate resolution that introduces the responsibility of businessmen for evading the conclusion of an agreement, refusing to transfer payments and other violations .
Federal Fisheries Program
One of the points of this program provides for the construction of a giant fish processing factory in Vladivostok specializing in the production of pollock fillet.
Part of the fillet will go to the newly formed factory for the production of semi-finished products, which will supply the state children's institutions.
Another point is the creation of a warehouse complex on Cape Nazimova for 50 thousand tons of products, on the basis of which there will be a large center for trade in fish and seafood.
In addition, serious support for small businesses is expected: the construction of a diversified fish processing enterprise, the area of which will be leased to small enterprises for the organization of processing of marine products.
And, finally, it is planned to create, on the basis of the Far Eastern Federal District, the largest research complex specializing in innovative ideas in the field of fish processing.
Prospects for Far Eastern Fisheries
After the fish cluster in the south of Primorye is put into operation, the region’s economy will receive a powerful impetus for its development. The catch volume will increase by more than one and a half times, and the primary processing of products at sea will almost double.
Deliveries of products both to the domestic market of Russia and to export will almost double, as well as the annual turnover of fish processing enterprises.
In addition to economic benefits, the industry will become more financially transparent, since at the moment the fishing industry, unfortunately, is one of the most shadowy sectors of the economy.
The population will have the opportunity to purchase better fish products at low prices.
The creation of new enterprises will give the region jobs, new modern enterprises will bring new tax revenues to the budget, which, in turn, will improve the welfare of the Primorsky Territory and give the Russian fish processing industry the necessary backlog for the future.