YOU CAN TRUST IN GOD, THE SUN AND THE JAPANESE

The reason that last year breathed in some optimism in Kamchatka Governor was that Kamchatka fisheries eventually mastered their new boats, learned to take the best of their capabilities. Their product started competing with that of the traditionally largest world exporters. Yet, not only competing but ousting Canadians, Americans and Japanese from our fishing areas, saying, they would manage on their own. Nearly at once, our fisheries felt a hard pressure from the Russian governmental corridors. Activated were all economic and financial livers. The investment policy turned to the worse. If before 1992 the financial support was encouraging, but the present government did everything possible to create crushing enslaving terms. All payments, fleet maintenance expenses went out of the profit. No foreign investments have been promised for the fleet development. As a result, in the opinion of the majority of fishermen, the fishing fleet is drying out. Those who did not use the bare-boat charter are still operate at loss. They are unable to compete on the international markets.

Throughout the world, government are trying to best facilitate producers, to generate more state revenues. Expressed in common language that means that companies should get as much profit as possible. Now, local fishing companies turn in about 70% of their raw fish to the outdated mother-ships. So they lose double as much in profits. This happens because the current investment climate existing in Russia is unpredictable as weather in Kamchatka. Today it is sun and warmth, in an hour snow and cold wind. No new vessel are bought nowadays.

In order to pay taxes in good time and amount, it is necessary to catch and better sell fish. Also, before the boats go to high seas, they should get fishing quotas, a permit to catch this and that quantity of a certain fish species. Quotas distribution is yet another lever used by the state to exert pressure on the fisheries. Simply put, a sort of "helping hand" to get down.