RUSSIAN MARINE FISHING POLICIES AND WORLD FISHING PRACTICES

Russian fisheries have traditionally played the central part in supplying the protein-rich fish products to people of various income groups. This was due to geographical factors such as a long shore line, a great number of rivers and lakes, instability in farming and stock breeding, as well as religious traditions. For instance, the Christian religion is known to have banned all animal food, except for fish, from the table during fasting periods. Quite common in the former Soviet Union's public and company eateries were so called "Fish-Eating Days", held customarily once a week on a certain day, with strictly fish dishes served on the menu. This helped maintain a steady demand for fish products and spur the expansion in the fishing industry sector.

In Soviet time, fishing industry operating under the planned and enforced distribution economy went hand in hand with exploration of marine resources. Rapid development in this field past World War Two brought the ex-USSR in the forefront among the leading fisheries throughout the world in 1975 and 1988--1989. The per capita consumption of fish neared the 18 kg a year, advised by the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences" Nutrition Institute, throughout the USSR, 22--24 kg throughout the Russian Soviet Federate Socialist Republic, and up to 40 kg in some coastal areas. Import of fish ceased to play the crucial part in the overall fish supply. It fell short of 200 thousand tons, while the export grew up to 300--550 thousand tons. Oceanic fisheries made a considerable contribution into this country's food security, inputting about 20--25% of animal proteins annually.

Traditionally, Russian Federate Republic's fishing fleets accounted for 75--80% of all annual catches in the whole Soviet Union. The largest portion of all catches came from the Far Eastern seas – the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea, the northern Barents Sea, the Atlantic and Pacific high seas. Out and beyond own 200 mile zone Soviet fishing fleets, Russian included, landed 5.2--5.6 million tons. Despite the high catches outside the Soviet waters, Russia of those times was spared the haggle over the marine resources with the foreign fleets operating under the market economy.

However, the fishing states with market economy in sight of the Soviet Union's fishing efforts to increase catches in 70-s, ousted our fleets from their off-shore regions, and later from their respective 200 mile zones as soon as they were established. As a result of these actions, the Soviet Union's catches dropped to the unprecedented 10.4--9.2 million tons over the period after the WW2. However, the Soviet Union managed to keep its fish landings level at a steady 10--11 million tons due to exploitation of newly discovered resources of mackerel, krill, ice-fish etc. in the high seas worldwide. Getting adapted to the new marine laws, Russian fisheries regained control over their steady growth.

The reforms under way since 1990--92, hasty as they were in transition to the market, forced fisheries to switch most of the fleets to the resources within the exclusive 200 mile zone, which were greatly in demand in domestic and international markets. Simultaneously, for a number of economic reasons, abandoned were many fishing grounds in the high seas of the Atlantic and Pacific regions. The Government first curtailed then totally shut off financial support of the industry. Liberalization of the fish export trade and mistakes in privatization brought about the growing export and loss of a good part of the fishing fleet. All this caused not only a dramatic decrease in Russian catches from 7.9--8.1 million tons in 1988--89 to 3.4--4.3 million tons in 1994--95, but a sharp drop in the per capita consumption of fish from 18 down to 10 kg. The depth of the current crisis faced by the Russian fishing industry has no analogues in its history.

In the meantime the Russian domestic market is being actively invaded by foreign companies from Europe and Asia, while the scale exportation of pollock, cod, shrimp, crab, and other seafoods by Russian fishing companies considerably destabilized the prices both in Europe and Asia. The ultimate damages will be incurred by Russian fishermen in the first place. In order to mend the situation, the Government was rather late to adopt the 1995 Federal Task Program named "Fish", setting the tasks of maintaining the catches at 4.2 million tons by the year 2000, although relying on a rather moderate finances, and directing most of the product to domestic consumers.

According to the Program, the resources of the 200 mile zone should constitute the resource base of the Russian fishing industry (about 71--76% of the annual landing). Only 8% have been planned for the oceanic fisheries, and 15--16 for other regions (200 mile exclusive economic zones of other countries based on governmental agreements).

In this regard, Russian national interests have to guard the resources of pollock and crab of the Sea of Okhotsk, cod and haddock of the Barents Sea for the exclusive use by domestic fish producers. The time has come to announce the Sea of Okhotsk a Russian fishing domain, and prohibit foreign vessels from fishing in this area. Also, all fishing efforts made by domestic companies within the 200 mile zone should be cut down to match the current state of the resource base.

The raw marine resources, explored by the Russian scientists, promise to afford up to 9.0--10.0 million tons of fish and seafoods yearly. Exclusion of some remote fishing grounds, again for economic considerations, from the Russian fishing fleet operations will cause a decrease in the resource base of estimated 4.2--6.5 million ton. It should be noted, about this amount is set forth as a target catch in the Fish Program for the year 2000.