At the meeting on the situation in agriculture and food industry held via videoconference Russian President Vladimir Putin supported the proposal of Vladimir Solodov, Acting Governor of the Kamchatka Territory on establishment of regular transportation of fish products by the Northern Sea Transport Corridor from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to Saint-Petersburg. According to the meeting transcript, Vladimir Solodov estimates potential fish transportation along this route at 250,000-300,000 tonnes per year. At the first phase, in summer-autumn fishing season of Pacific salmons it can be as high as 50,000-60,000 tonnes per year.
Taking into account geographic location of Kamchatka, fish products are currently delivered to the ports of the Primorsky Territory by sea and then by railway to the central part. However, during the salmon season the load on freezing facilities of Vladivostok multiplies which results in longer unloading and handling of cargo.
“We see that delays in Vladivostok during the high fishing season are among factors making fishing companies reject supplies of fish to the domestic market, - said Vladimir Solodov. – In our opinion, more active involvement of the Northern Sea Route for fish delivery to the central Russia could be a solution”.
It was in 2011, that fish was first transported by the Northern Sea Route but such deliveries are still sporadic.
“As compared with shipments by railway, transportation by the Northern Sea Route has a number of distinct advantages, especially during the salmon season. First of all, it is the reduction of delivery time. Transportation from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to Saint-Petersburg is twice as fast as the delivery by railway. As of today it takes 18 days”, said the Acting Governor.
According to him, it is also necessary to look into reduction of tariffs for fish transportation by ships.
Aleksey Likhachev, СEO of Rosatom, supported those proposals.
“We actually see three solutions. Volumes mentioned by the Acting Governor can be carried by the Sevmorput, nuclear-powered carrier. It is an ice-class icebreaker able to carry cargo with deadweight of 33,000 tonnes. So we can manage that by two-three, or up to four voyages… The pilot voyage of that kind was undertaken last year between Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Saint-Petersburg. All the stakeholders were satisfied. Besides, we are ready to offer other instruments”, said Aleksey Likhachev.
The proposa was also backed by Oleg Belozerov, President of Russian Railways.
“Our task is to offer more comfortable terms for different alternatives. We will be pleased to play within this group”, he said.
“I will include this into instructions following our today’s discussion”, summarized Vladimir Putin.
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