President Putin: Illegal Fishing Must Be Stopped

Fishing in Russia’s maritime economic zone is the source of enormous costly illegal activity and the government must take immediate measures to restore order, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.

Speaking at a meeting of the State Council Presidium on Effective Management of the Fishing Industry in Russia, Mr. Putin also highlighted the importance of aquaculture and said that, until now, Russia has paid «almost no attention» to this growing industry.

Mr. Putin said that, in order to obtain the maximum benefit from the industry, the Government is prioritizing support for fish processing in Russia and the interdiction of illegal fishing and smuggling. He said that this conservation of aquatic resources and their development will serve the interests of future generations.

«Along with this, change in the industry has been slow, - Mr. Putin said. - Its competitiveness is completely at odds with the very rich potential of domestic fish resources. There has been no significant, positive change in the amount caught or processed. As before, we still sell the raw material, and quite cheaply at that, and then overpay when we import seafood. And we know that there is a strong demand for fish from our Russian consumers and that the market for these products in Russia has grown recently and continues to grow. I think that we must once again analyze, meticulously and in depth, the reasons for this situation and, most importantly, outline effective measures to effect rapid changes in this situation.»

Mr. Putin said that one of the most critical issues is fishing in Russia's economic zone, beyond the limits of the 12-mile customs zone.

«Why do we have such an economic zone? We have announced that this is our economic zone. If it isn’t ours, whose is it? For whom was it created? We don’t have any means of accounting for or controlling the amount of fish caught there or the export of fish resources. This export doesn’t pass through customs control. We have no international agreements with the majority of the countries that consume these products. There are no legal mechanisms for monitoring from space the movement of these ships or information exchange. Overall, fishing in Russia’s maritime economic zone is the source of enormously profitable illegal activity. And the government cabinet must take immediate measures to restore order».

He added that the fight against illegal fishing must, at the same time, create the sort of economic conditions that will encourage fishing and the processing of biological resources in Russia.

«The poor condition of the fishing fleet and its ports is holding up the development of the fishing sector,« he continued. »Moreover, the fishing fleet continues to be updated by ageing foreign vessels, ageing in both the physical and moral sense. And finally, as before, there are still no economic incentives in place for servicing fishing boats in our Russian ports efficiently. As a result, fish continues to go to the markets of other countries».

In order to turn the situation around, Mr Putin said fishing ports need to be modernised and there should be more of a focus on construction of boats in domestic shipyards.

«Resolving these problems requires not only the support of the state but also the widespread involvement of private investors. Today I would like to consider in detail the means by which such investment can be encouraged, including the various forms of partnership between the state and the private sector».

Mr Putin also highlighted the importance of aquaculture during his address.

«It is no exaggeration to say that what is crucial for the industry today is the development of aquaculture. We know that in the last decade the size of the world*s annual catch of biological resources has clearly stabilised at a level of about 95 million tonnes. Most experts believe that in the future fish will be cultivated on fish farms, as will other aquatic animals and plants. I also note that in a whole range of countries the growth rate in this sector is already 7-10% a year».

He said that Russia has paid almost no attention to aquaculture, adding that even now it is developing slowly and not keeping pace with present demands.

«We must not only recover what we have let slip through our fingers but also promote the most up to date means of cultivation and advanced technology. And to begin with we must strengthen the legal framework. The lack of legislation and regulation concerning aquaculture has seriously slowed business activity, discouraged investors in this sector and prevented the implementation of new forms of fishery management».

Full text of the State Council Presidium minutes also highlights a number of joint decisions and tasks set for 16 federal agencies sharing responsibilities for developmemt of fish industry and conservation and management of fish resources.

Later during his visit to Kamchatka Vladimir Putin again highlighted fisheries issues: making the fisheries sector more effective. The fisheries sector plays a predominant part in Kamchatka’s economy and accounts for almost 20 percent of the region’s gross regional product. It is also the primary basis of the region’s export potential. “We just recently discussed the fishing industry’s development at the State Council Presidium meeting in Astrakhan, - said Mr. Putin. - The key conditions for the sector’s development were defined as effective state supervision and management, increased powers for the regional authorities, incentives for investment, and the introduction of modern fish and seafood processing technology, technology that would enable us to sell not the raw materials but high value-added processed products”.

WWF Marine Programme actively collaborates with state agencies for conservation of fish resources in Russia through its’ work at the Caspian, Barents and White Sea, at the Kamchatka and Far East. Many supporters already contributed in latest years to WWF-Russia actions for sustainable fisheries, andwe are sure that in current state decisions there is some portion of our joint effort as well. WWF Russia will provide expertise and knowledge to the state, so that the planned measures for development of fisheries at the national level will guarantee also sustainability and wise use of marine biological resources.