Extreme measures

Fishing berths managed by Rosrybolovstvo (Russia’s Federal Fishery Agency) are to be reconstructed by the Agency in order to use them for fish transshipment. Stevedoring companies operating such berths under lease agreements will be suggested to invest in the adjacent infrastructure and fitting of the fishing terminals with the corresponding equipment as well as to carry out fish handling activities there. The support  of all leaseholders is highly questionable. 

Goldfish

Federal special-purpose program (FSP) “Improvementof efficiency of the use and developmentof the fisheries industry’s resource potential in 2009-2013» (approved in August 2008) is coordinated by Rosrybolovstvo аnd ordered by the Federal Security Service of Russia. Among different measures it develops Russian fishing terminals of Vladivostok, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski, Khasan, Nevel, Kholmsk, Kaliningrad, Pionersky, Murmansk, St. Petersburg and Novorossiysk seaports. According to FSP, fishing berths are to be reconstructed in those ports, dredging works are to be carried out there with construction and repair of hydraulic engineering structures, auxiliary facilities and power networks in certain cases. 

According to the Agency’s head Andrei Kraini, RUR 32 bln of the federal budget is to be allocated within the FSP framework during a 5-year period. “It is the first time the state allocates money during the post-soviet period. Unfortunately, sequestering is under way because of the crisis. The budgets of all FSPs and all agencies are “being cut”. Our program will be “cut” by 50% this year,” Kraini informs. Meanwhile, he says private investments will stay at the planned level – RUR 3 bln per year.

Investments for “Reconstruction of port facilities at seaport’s fishing terminals” till 2013 are to exceed RUR 8.37 bln including RUR 4.39 bln from the federal budget and RUR 3.9 bln of private investments.

As PortNews IAA learnt from Rosrybolovstvo, reconstruction and modernization of fishing terminals will cover berths currently operated under lease agreements by Murmansk Sea Fishin Port OJSC, ROK-1 Berths CJSC (St. Petersburg), Novolesexport (Novorossiysk), Vladivostok Sea Fishing Port OJSC; Seaport in Troitsa Bay LLC (Khasan port); Evroneft LLC, Bunkerflot CJSC (Kaliningrad); Sakhalin-Shelf-Servis LLC (Kholmsk port). Lend-lease of certain berth facilities in Petropavlovsk seaport to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski Sea Fishing Port OJSC and KMP-Kholod LLC is also under consideration today.

Not leased berths of Makhachkala, Nevelsk and Petropavlovsk seaports are supposed to be operated by Natsrybresurs FSUE.

The above companies will be proposed to invest own resources in equipment of fishing terminals and development of the adjacent infrastructure.

Officials think it would be driven by both modernization of the terminal as a single complex and different state support measures including federal leasing.

Rosrybolovstvo currently preparing proposals on investment projects included in non-budget part of the FSP and developing conditions for favorable crediting of companies.

Fishing for investments

The companies currently handling fish are enthusiastic about such plans. In particular, there is an old wooden berth line in the northern district of Murmansk Sea Fishing Port. It was taken out of the operation as early as in soviet times. “First money for its reconstruction was to come this year but they are not likely to be allocated before 2010 because of the crisis. We are also ready to provide private investors or the state with a number of projects aimed at the development of the port’s northern district, Anton Artemjev, assistant to the Director General of Murmansk Sea FishingPort told PortNews IAA.

According to him, reconstruction of the berth line and dredging will make it possible to handle large-capacity vessels with frozen fish. It would unload the port’s southern district in order to use it for transshipment of let’s say frozen meet, Anton Artemjev says.

FSP envisages allocation of RUR 442.8 mln till 2013 for reconstruction of the berth line in the northern district of Murmansk Sea Fishing Port including RUR 27 mln in 2009, RUR 130 mln in 2010, RUR 100 mln in 2011, RUR 100 mln in 2012 and RUR 85.6 mln in 2013.

Obviously, stevedoring companies which do not handle fish will have a controversial attitude to the plans of Rosrybolovstvo. For example, the agency says fishing berths in Novorossiysk are operated by Novolesexport (Novorossiysk Commercial Sea Port). Todaythestevedore handles timber and containers.  As PortNews IAA learnt from the company, Novolesexport received no proposals from Rosrybolovstvo. Novolesexport also refused to comment on the company’s position in this respect.

According to FSP, RUR 89 mln are to be allocated from the federal budget till 2013 for reconstruction and construction of new berths in the port of Novorossiysk.

Rosrybolovstvo berths in the port of St. Petersburg are under operation of Sea Fishing Port LLC, a private stevedoring company specializing in transshipment of refrigerated and general cargo. Before the crisis the company used to import large batches of new automobiles. According to the analytical department of PortNews IAA, for the first 7 months of the year the company’s throughput fell by 22%, year-on-year, to 575,000 t.

Implementation of FSP will more likely have positive prospects for this lease holder, a representative of Natsrybresursy FSUE thinks. “The leaseholder will bear costs related to coastal infrastructure involved in handlng fish products but it will have certain guarantees as regards loading the terminal,” he says. As St. Petersburg does not generally handle fishing vessels, it will mainly handle frozen fish in containers which is quite in line with the company’s specialization.

PortNews IAA failed to get comments from Sea Fishing Port LLC.

Catch for projectors

Large-scale plans on reconstruction and modernization of the country’s fishing terminals will require attraction of design organizations. The tenders are announced by Rosrybolovstvo.

This year the agency has held a competition for a state contract to develop design documentation for reconstruction of federal facilities at terminals designed for comprehensive servicing of fishing vessels in Vladivostok, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski, Khasan, Nevelsk ad Kaliningrad ports. As PortNews IAA learnet from Rosrybolovstvo, the winner has been determined and financing is open. Rosrybolovstvo does notrevealthe company’s name. Under the contract, the developer is to carry out survey work, develop design and estimate documentation as well as to provide it for a state expert appraisal within the current year. Upon the above documentation reconstruction is to commence in 2010.