September 5, 2012

Russia to launch programme for improvement of fish sectors

Russia plans to approve a new programme, 'The Concept of Fisheries 2012', which will improve domestic fishing and aquaculture sectors, by cutting down on state controls and increasing funds to fish farms to produce higher value products.

At a meeting outlining the programme, Vice-Premier of Russia, Arkady Dvorkovich, said that Russia wanted to increase domestic production of fish products and export fewer raw materials abroad.

The new programme will abolish the VAT refund exporters receive when exporting fish, as well as eliminate privileges on payment of the fee for the use of aquatic resources for companies that export raw materials abroad.

Another major innovation is to create fish stock exchanges, which will allow the state to control the price of fishery products and to fight the export-commodity nature of the fishing industry in Russia.

"In the current situation, Russia is importing fish products of high added value, and exports from Russia (that are) fresh or chilled fish… (which) is actually raw, losing significant amounts of value," said the Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Natural Resources, Environment and Ecology, Vladimir Kashin.

There are also plans to support the coastal regions of the Russian Federation for the development of fisheries. The first such programme was adopted in the Sakhalin region and provides assistance to fishermen with US$10.4 billion for 2012. Similar programmes will soon be adopted in all the coastal regions of the country.