To date, 292 new aquaculture sites have been identified in the region by the Rosrybolovstvo. Of these, 139 sites are in the process of establishing fish and seafood farming operations, while a further 153 sites are available. In Russia’s Far East, 179 aquaculture farms are already operational, according to information from the state-run agency.
As of publication date, the Rosrybolovstvo has not disclosed what species are to be bred by the new licence holders, but Primorsky Krai’s fish and seafood production currently includes mussels, scallops, crabs and sea cucumbers. Last year, the Far Eastern region’s total production totalled about 6,870 tonnes which represented an increase of 39% compared with a year earlier. In addition to this, the country’s authorities aim to expand its aquaculture area to some 27,500 hectares in the coming years. The aquaculture sites will be located within the Primorye subzone.
The latest move will generate revenues of about RUB 113 million (€1.7 million) for the state budget. However, Ilya Shestakov, Russia’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture and the agency’s president, said in a statement that the Rosrybolovstvo has been mulling over plans to take special measures regarding the companies that do not pay the licences fees within the agreed timeframe, based on the agency’s prior experiences in holding such auctions.
Primorsky Krai borders China and North Korea, as well as the Sea of Japan and has a population of about 2 million.
