Regular shipping line can be organized for fish deliveries from Russia’s Far East

Rosrybolovstvo (Russian Federal Fisheries Agency), Rosatom Corporation and fishing industry organizations will establish a working group on arranging a shipping line for transportation of fish products from the Far East to the European part of Russia by the Northern Sea Route, says Rosrybolovstvo.

The parties came to this agreement at the meeting held on October 24 by Rosrybolovstvo head Peotr Savchuk.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the Rosatom’s Northern Sea Route Directorate, fishing companies and associations, executive authorities and regional administrations.

A record high amount of Pacific salmons was caught in Russia in 2018 – more than 670,000 tonnes with the bulk (500,000 tonnes) caught in Kamchatka.

“To improve food security of the Russian Federation, it is necessary to develop alternative routes for delivery of fish from the Far East. One of the alternatives is to arrange a regular line on the Northern Sea Route for fish product transportation from the Far East”, said Peotr Savchuk.

Positive experience of fish delivery from the Far East by the Northern Sea Route has been obtained this year when fish was delivered by Dobroflot and Norebo.

Vyacheslav Ruksha, Deputy General Director of Rosatom – head of the Northern Sea Route Directorate, told about the prospects of using the Northern Sea Route for fish deliveries from the Far East.

“Nuclear-powered lighter-container ship "Sevmorput" able to carry more than 1,300 containers can break through 1.5-meter thick ice. If we are supported by our colleagues, several voyages can be arranged in the season of 2019 according to a schedule”, said Vyacheslav Ruksha.

A comprehensive approach should be applied to the project including loading of vessels for their returning voyages, modernization of sea terminals with the priority of creating yards for refrigerated containers, both in the Far East regions and in Central Russia.

As it was said at the meeting, shipment of fish is currently reasonable from the port of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

Development of products transportation by the Northern Sea Route will contribute to creation and improvement of fishing fleet service centers at the ports of Arkhangelsk, Murmansk, Vladivostok, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Severo-Kurilsk.