FISHING GENERALS HAVE DRIVEN RUSSIAN SALMON INTO JAPANESE SEINES

BY Valeriy KUL'BYAKOV AND ERNST CHERNIY, BACHELOR OF GEOGRAPHY
THE KOMSOMOL'SKAYA PRAVDA NEWSPAPER

This year, The Russian Committee on Fisheries (RCF) permitted Japanese fisheries to catch 26,000 tons of excellent salmon within 200 miles economic zone of the Russian Federation. While the Russian fishing companies were suffered to get four times as little bringing a great number of them closer to the verge of bankruptcy.

Here lies a paradox: The Russian fleet does downtime, while the priority in fishing quotas allocation is given to foreigners.

Why the Japanese are so eager to get into our 200 mile zone? The high seas fishing was prohibited by the Convention on Preservation of Anadromous Fish Species in the North Pacific signed by Japan in 1992 along with Canada, Russia and the united States. That is the reason why our neighbors seek access into our waters exceptionally rich in salmon. By the way, the present RCF Chairman, A. Rodin, when positioned as Deputy Chairman held a quite different standpoint supporting domestic industry.

On April 28, 1992, an ad hoc panel even adopted a resolution on preparation for "total discontinuation of salmon driftnet fishing operations carried out by foreigners within Russian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)" and, correspondingly, for stepping up of domestic fleet operations. However, having ascended the career ladder, the industry patriot turned into "Japanese patriot". It is known for certain, the Japanese agreed to advance 50 million dollars for the driftnetted Russian salmon. We might as well just express our gratitude to our gracious neighbor, if not for the legitimate question: could not we ourselves have made so much money on salmon the Japanese would never dream of?

As of June 1, an article appeared in The Hokkaido Shinbun Newspaper about a Sakhalin vessel calling on the Port of Kusiro. What was it really that so excited the hosts and attracted the press? The answer was seven Japanese inspectors" presence on board of the Russian catching boat. The fact that the vessel had driftnetted within the Russian economic pushed the panic button.

"We can do better than Japanese. But we are not allowed to", said in a temper Vladimir Seminozhenko, head of the newly organized Driftnet Fishing Association. Asked if they would be able to land 26,000 tons of salmon on their own, ten times current landings, he responded that they would certainly swallow it, given help from Kamchatka fleet, and fill the shelves, both Russian and Japanese, with sockeye, coho, chum, chinook and silver salmon. We will lower salmon prices in the domestic market and rise in Japan. What happens now, the prices of the Japanese market are deliberately lowered for us.

What is the use of RCF if it ruins its home fishing industry? Two months ago, while restructuring the government RCF was decided to be liquidated, its fish resources protection authority passed to the Russian Committee on Ecology (RCE). Then this decision was changed, not without pressure on the part of "fishing generals". Now the entire RCF shall be included into the Russian Ministry of Agriculture and Food Production (RMAFP). Then, it looks as if things will come back to the old ways…

Today's Russia is the only maritime state allowing driftnetting within its EEZ. This 15-20 kilometer fishing implement is set at sea in the way of migrating salmon. By far, not only sockeye, pink or chum fall into the net. F&G inspectors report daily of the "catch" made of seabirds, dolphins, seals and even whales.

This sort of fishing should be banned. More so, Russian fishermen used to catch salmon employing other, more sparing methods. Past the massive advent of the Japanese schooners, the stationary seines at the river mouths which salmon pass on the way to spawning grounds stand nearly empty ever so often… Despite this, the driftnet charge becomes harder year by year. Why? The answer is as easy as that. This is the easiest way to get money. It is rather hard to track down how the currency is spent after that. Payment goes through several foreign banks in a row.

Beginning of March, at a regular Russian-Japanese Fisheries Commission's meeting, a determination was reached that our country should provide Japanese fishermen, on a pecuniary basis, with the right to land 9,000 tons of salmon within Russian EEZ. Now the talks are about 26,000 tons. Where the extra tonnage comes from? Evidently, it appears to be at the expense of domestic fishermen, and ultimately Russian consumers.