OREANDA-NEWS. December 2, 2008. A new Russian law on fisheries that comes into effect on January 1 2009 demands that all fish caught in Russian economic zone shall be delivered in Russian ports.

The slogan “Russian fish to Russian shore”, that Vladimir Putin came up with about a year ago, is about to be realized through a strict state fishery policy. Until now half of the caught fish (more than 1,5 million tons) has been delivered abroad, thus depriving Russian costal settlements of workplaces, the Russian treasury of incomes and Russian consumers of fish.

At a meeting in Moscow for leaders of Russian coastal regions, First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov informed that only companies which deliver their catch for processing in Russia will be given state support.

The Russian government has promised that fishing vessels shall have to wait no longer than three hours in the roadstead and three hours to get documents filled out. This procedure normally takes several days, which is one of the reasons Russian fishing companies prefer to unload in neighbouring states.

Another question that was raised at the meeting was taxes imposed on vessels that have been repaired abroad. Each visit to a Russian port involves great expenses for such vessels. Murmansk governor Yuri Yevdokimov suggested to remove this tax or to reduce it with 95 percent. – Otherwise we will get neither fish nor the five remaining percents, Yevdokimov said.