Tag Archives: Russia
Vyborg Shipyard is building trawlers under investment quotas programme
Vyborg Shipyard will build three trawlers of KMT02 design for the companies of FOR Group. The Dmitry Kozharsky trawler is the first large factory freezer trawler in the series intended for bottom trawling. The ship laid down on 1 November 2018 was launched on 19 June 2020. The Ice3 trawler with a hull of Arc4 is intended for bottom trawling with further processing and freezing the fish on board. The equipment freezing capacity is up to 105 tonnes of fish per day. The holds capacity is 2,375 cbm. 5 photos, >click to read< 21:45
“We’re solid. We’re unified” – Inside Kodiak’s crab standoff
The nearly 6-million-pound quota was the highest in decades. And some people spent more than $100,000 to buy a permit to fish this year, said Kevin Abena, one of the leaders of the Kodiak Crab Alliance Cooperative. But fishermen’s hopes for a banner season are now in limbo, as the 130 boats in the Kodiak tanner crab fleet are on strike, holding out for higher prices from the seafood processors that typically buy, package and resell their catch. But processors and industry experts say the fishermen are fighting larger market forces that make it unlikely they’ll get much more than the $3.25 a pound that Kodiak-based plants have already offered, less than half than last year’s $8 a pound price. >click to read< 10:48
N.L. snow crab sales to Japan displaced by Russia
While many countries are imposing sanctions on Russia as a result of the war in Ukraine, Japan is taking advantage of low Russian snow crab prices. Clifford Small, MP for Coast of Bays-Central-Notre Dame and federal fisheries critic, says that is preventing Newfoundland and Labrador processors from selling their crab to Japan, as they normally do. “To have one of our major markets dry up on us, and to dry up in a sense that basically they started buying from a country like Russia — that’s at war in Ukraine — flies in the face of what you’d expect from a great trading partner and an ally,” he said. >click to read< 15:44
Russian Crab Renews Fleet
One of Russia’s big players, Russian Crab, is in the process of renewing its fleet of elderly vessels with new tonnage, and the first of these new crab catchers have been floated off for outfitting. The company is building both vivier crabbers at the Onega Shipyard, while processor vessels are taking shape at the Okskaya Sudoverf JSC shipyard. Vivier crabber Kapitan Egorov was launched at Onega in Petrozavodsk at the end of last year,,, These CCa 5712LS series vessels are designed to work under the challenging conditions of the Bering Sea, the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan, and are being outfitted with systems that are new to the Russian fishing sector, with circulation systems to keep crab in prime condition. These come with monitoring systems for temperature, air volume in the tanks and the oxygen content of the water, with data transferred automatically to the wheelhouse and to the office ashore. Photos, Video, >click to read< 20:10
Vessel Review – DMITRY KONOPLEV – Newbuild Vivier Crabber Trio for Russian Far East Fishing Company
Russian fishing company the Antey Group will soon take delivery of three new crab boats in a series built by local company Nakhodka Ship Repair Yard (NSRY). Sister vessels Kapitan, Dmitry Konoplev, and Kapitan Khazan are the first three of a planned series of eight vivier crab vessels built by NSRY and designed by the Damen Shipyards Group’s Damen Engineering Saint Petersburg division for operation by various owners in the Okhotsk, Barents, and Bering Seas. Antey said the acquisition of these new crab boats – which are among the first new crab boats to be built in Russia’s Far East in over 30 years – is in line with the goal of modernising the country’s fishing fleet while providing comfortable at-sea living and working conditions for crews. Photos, >click to read< 17:55
Anger as Faroe Islands renew fishery agreement with Russia
The Faroese granted Moscow the right to catch tens of thousands of tons of blue whiting in a special area shared with Britain despite the war in Ukraine. Ian Gatt, chief executive of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association, said: “It is hugely disappointing, if not surprising, that Faroe has concluded a fisheries agreement for 2023 with Russia. The fishing industry spent months calling on the Government to pressure the island country – 200 miles north of Scotland – to maximise damage to Vladimir Putin’s war machine by banning his trawlers. >click to read< 09:12
Jerry Leeman: Fishing is my life. Somewhere, people forgot to listen to the generations before us.
I’ve spent all my life on the ocean. My family and friends are fishermen and lobstermen. I grew up on an island in Maine and almost everyone was in some form of fishery, whether it be groundfishing, gill netting, seining and lobstering. We even had shrimping till that was mis managed away. I grew up watching these men and women harvesting the ocean. Rules were put into place to harvest the ocean responsibly and sustainably for future generations. Most people in this nation know little to as of why our fish stocks became depleted. Other nations like Russia and other European super trawlers were allowed to pillage our waters along the New England coast. They were eventually banned, but the destruction had been done. We’ve spent years restricting ourselves fishing, going out of our way bending backwards to rebuild our fish stocks. >click to read< By Jerry Leeman 11:19
Fiber-optic Submarine Cable near Faroe and Shetland Islands Damaged; Mediterranean Cables also Cut
Last week the SHEFA-2 undersea cable linking the Faroe Islands to mainland Scotland via the Shetland and Orkney Islands was damaged in two separate incidents leaving much of the islands without internet connection. In the south of France three key subsea cables connecting the city of Marseille to Lyon, Milan, and Barcelona were purposely cut, the cable’s operator reported, impacting internet connectivity worldwide. While French authorities suspect an act of sabotage, their Scottish counterparts remain more cautious about what caused the damage to the cables. Similar to the Svalbard cable incidents, in which Russian fishing vessels passed repeatedly over the areas where the cables were located, police investigating the Faroe and Shetland incidents suggested that it was likely fishing vessels, which damaged the cables. >click to read< 09:19
Stepping up Crabber Fleet Renewal
The first crabber in a series of eight has been floated off at the Nakhodka Shipyard for Russian fishing giant Antey. The company hopes the new vessel will be an improvement than the one it took delivery of from Pella Shipyard. F/V Kapitan Khazan is designed for catching crab in the waters of the Bering, Barents and Okhotsk seas and has a carrying capacity of up to 120 tonnes of live crab in nine tanks with a total volume of 680m3. ‘We placed an order at the Nakhodka shipyard, one of the oldest plants in Primorye. It is important for us not only to renew the fleet and create comfortable conditions for seafarers but also to revive the traditionally strong shipbuilding industry in the Far East,’ Antey’s president Ivan Mikhnov said in a statement. Photos, >click to read< 11:10
Russian fishing trawler “Mekhanik Maslak” catches fire in St Petersburg shipyard
The Russian fishing trawler “Mekhanik Maslak,” caught fire while reportedly under construction at the Admiralty Shipyards in St Petersburg. The fire covered more than 800 square metres of the hold. Footage of the incident was shared on Twitter, with one user posting, “The Mekhanik Maslak, a fishing trawler under construction, has caught fire at the Admiralty Shipyards in St Petersburg. The fire is being extinguished from both shore and water.” short videos, >click to read/watch< 16:34
Fire ignites on factory trawler under construction in Saint Petersburg, Russia – Russian media reports that a fire broke out on a large fishing vessel still under construction at a shipyard in the city of Saint Petersburg on Tuesday, August 2. >click to read<
Fishing feud at end of the world split US and Britain over Russia
It’s one of the world’s highest-fetching wild-caught fish, sold for $32 a pound at Whole Foods and served up as meaty fillets on the menus of upscale eateries across the US. But Russia’s obstruction of longstanding conservation efforts, resulting in a unilateral rejection of catch limits for the Chilean sea bass in a protected region near Antarctica, has triggered a fish fight at the bottom of the world, one dividing longtime allies, the US and UK governments. >click to read< 11:16
‘Boris, where’s your Russian sanctions?’ asks F/V Altaire’s First Mate
The first mate of local pelagic trawler F/V Altaire has written to prime minister Boris Johnson urging the UK Government to act over Russian factory ships fishing for blue whiting in UK waters around 100 miles to the west of Shetland. Colin Leask said there were 11 Russian vessels presently in the UK’s shared zone with the Faroe Islands fishing for a “ridiculously inflated” quota of 75,000 tonnes of blue whiting. The crewman’s appeal is the latest attempt by the industry to get the government to close a loophole that enables Russian vessels to fish inside UK waters at a time of “supposedly strict sanctions” against the country in response to the invasion of Ukraine. >click to read< 16:50
Amid tensions over Ukraine, Russia and Japan seal deal on fishing quotas
Japan and Russia have reached an agreement over Tokyo’s annual catch quota for Russian-born salmon and trout, the Japanese Fisheries Agency said Saturday, despite delays and chilled relations between the two sides amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The agreement on Japan’s quota for the popular fish in waters near disputed islands north of Hokkaido is a relief for Japanese fishermen who were worried about the prospects amid worsening ties between the two governments. >click to read< 08:42
Sanctions threaten to spoil Japan-Russia fishing rights talks
Japan has kicked off annual negotiations with Russia on commercial fishing quotas off the coast of Hokkaido, the Fisheries Agency said Monday, with the talks clouded by Tokyo’s plans to strengthen sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine. The two countries routinely set limits for salmon and sea trout catches in each other’s exclusive economic zones. Fishing season normally begins April 10, but the talks had been delayed by the war. Fishing cannot start until a deal is reached. Closed-door virtual discussions began Monday, according to the Fisheries Agency, with no set end date. >click to read< 16:08
Russian head of NAFO has stepped down; country must be expelled/fish quotas transferred to Ukraine
Seaward Enterprises Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (SEA-NL) says it’s not enough that the Russian president and chair of the international organization that manages fish stock inside and outside Canada’s 200-mile limit has stepped down. The Russian Federation itself must be expelled from the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization, with the country’s thousands of tonnes of quotas transferred to the Ukraine, another member of the 13-country organization. “Russia has violated every protocol on the face of the earth with its war on Ukraine, and its membership in NAFO should be cancelled outright, and its fish quotas transferred,” says Ryan Cleary, SEA-NL’s Executive Director. “Russian seafood is banned around the world, so it stands to reason that its offshore dragger fleet should not be permitted to fish as a NAFO-member country.” >click to read< 11:50
Stop importing £200m worth of cod and haddock from Russia
£200m worth of Russian cod and haddock imports should be stopped and efforts redoubled to open up fishing grounds off Norway and Greenland to the UK’s last distant water trawler Kirkella. Sir Barney White-Spunner, retired British Army officer and chairman of the advisory board of UK Fisheries, which operates the trawler said money currently going to Russia “should be kept here at home, benefiting jobs and investment in the North East and not Putin’s Tsarist ambitions”. The Hull trawler has had to cut crew numbers in the past two years, reflecting her plummeting quotas, a result of unfavourable deals struck by the UK Government, operating as independent coastal state. >click to read< 08:03
Trade war, Covid and now Ukraine invasion eat into Alaska seafood sales
First a trade war, then a battle against an infectious virus and now a real war are all affecting Alaska seafood exports. Shipments to China fell from as high as 30% of Alaska’s total seafood export value in the 2010s to 20% in 2020. “The U.S.-China trade war has displaced $500 million of Alaska seafood,” And though people bought more seafood to prepare at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, sales to restaurants and food services fell by 70%, Woodrow said. The food service market “still hasn’t fully recovered.” The Alaska product at risk in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is pink salmon roe. Eastern Europe is a major buyer of the product, he said. “It’s a regional preference.” Alaska in 2021 shipped to Ukraine about $20 million of pink salmon roe,,, >click to read< 11:37
Massachusetts Seafood Collaborative calls for sanctions on Russian fish imports
The Boston-based Massachusetts Seafood Collaborative, which has several Gloucester members, is calling for sanctions to take a bite out of Russian fish imports because of the war in Ukraine. The collaborative, which counts the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association as a member, said that in 2021, the U.S. imported $4 billion worth of Russian fish for processing, leading directly to jobs and paychecks for Massachusetts residents. “Though Russia blocks imports of American fish,” the collaborative said, “our commitment to free trade and open markets allowed this one-sided relationship to bear fruit. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has forced our industry and our nation to decide between our ideals and our wallets.”>click to read< 08:42
Scottish officials ordered to withdraw from fishing talks with Russia
The Scottish Government has said it will not take part in any fisheries negotiations with the Russian Federation in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine. Environment Secretary Mairi Gougeon has instructed Scottish Government officials to withdraw from any such negotiations until further notice. She confirmed the move as she called for talks over fish stocks involving both the UK and Russia to be postponed. >click to read< 11:22
Despite Ukraine invasion, the U.S. and Russia are still working together to solve salmon mysteries
Tensions continue to simmer between Moscow and Washington in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In many respects, the divide between East and West is deepening: Oil companies are canceling partnerships with Russian firms. State legislators are calling for the state’s sovereign wealth fund to dump Russian investments. President Joe Biden announced Tuesday the U.S. would close its airspace to Russian aircraft. But the United States and Russia are continuing to work together on at least one issue: salmon. >click to read< 10:10
Fishing organization tells members to avoid Russian waters
Fiskebåt, the organization, on Monday told its members that caused by the tense situation following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it would be recommended to avoid fishing in the Russian economic zone until further notice. “Our thoughts go first and foremost to those who live in Ukraine, but at the same time we must continuously consider what consequences this situation will have for the activity of our members,” says Audun Maråk, CEO in Fiskebåt. Right now, there are no Norwegian fishing vessels in the Russian zone, as most of the Barents Sea over the past few weeks has been closed due to massive military maneuvers and shootings by the powerful Northern Fleet. Led by President Putin, the nuclear deterrence forces were exercising earlier in February. >click to read< 12:40
Should Russia be kicked out of NAFO; its trawler fleet banned from fishing outside Canadian waters?
There’s a case for it considering Canada has closed its airspace to Russian aircraft, and even a call by hockey legend Wayne Gretzky for Russia to be banned from the rescheduled World Juniors this summer in Alberta as a consequence for the country’s invasion of Ukraine. Offshore trawlers from the Russian Federation have access to thousands of tonnes of quota a year in the NAFO zone, including redfish, turbot, and skate. Kicking Russia out of NAFO and banning its offshore draggers from the area (if that’s possible), could be another message to President Vladimir Putin that his invasion of the Ukraine is unacceptable. Below are the NAFO quota tables for 2022, including a breakdown of fish set aside for Russia. >click to read< 09:34
Cork fishermen reveal concerns over Russian submarines as they head off to sea
Kenny Oates, captain of the F/V Anders Nees, headed to sea last night with his six crew members for their first expedition of 2022 in search of hake, which swim close to the ocean floor. But Mr Oates admitted he is concerned that Russian subs could get caught in deep-sea fishing nets and pull down a trawler. He said: ‘We have seen it happen in Ireland, we have seen it happen in Scotland. It makes all fishermen very, very nervous.’ ‘You have all these international war games going on at sea and the fishermen are just trying to do their job, not knowing what is really going on,’ he said. >click to read< 09:09
Updated: “Absolute Guarantee” – Wait! There is no Guarantee!
Irish fishing industry meets Russian ambassador over planned naval exercises -Representatives of Ireland’s fishing industry have been issued with an “absolute guarantee” by Russia’s ambassador that their work will not be impacted by Russian naval exercises scheduled for next week. The Irish government confirmed on Sunday that Russia plans to conduct naval and air exercises 240 kilometres off the southwestern coast of Ireland in international waters that lie within Ireland’s exclusive economic zone. >click to read< 07:30
Russians deny fishermen’s claims on naval drills ‘buffer zone’ – In a statement on Friday morning, the Russian Embassy rejected reports based on the statements from the fishing representatives on Thursday that there had been “some kind of ‘agreement’ on some kind of ‘buffer zones’ in the area of the upcoming drills of the Russian Navy in the Atlantic.” >click to read< 08:28
Why Are The Chum Runs So Low? It’s not just an Alaskan/Yukon phenomenon.
The State of Alaska has closed fishing for chum to protect the runs. For Yukon River families, chum is particularly important. Chinook salmon have been low for decades, but chum were the fish families could depend on until last year, when the summer chum run dropped below half of its usual numbers. This year the run dropped even further, to record lows. Biologist Katie Howard with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said that the chum declines are not just occurring in the Yukon River. “When we talk to colleagues in the lower 48 and Canada, Japan, Russia, they are all reporting really poor chum runs. So it’s not just a Yukon phenomenon. It’s not just an Alaska phenomenon, but pretty much everywhere,” So why are the chum numbers so low? The short answer is no one really knows for sure. >click to read< 10:38
Russian Fishery Company’s flagship supertrawler F/V Vladimir Limanov arrives in Vladivostok port
After successful fishing trials, the flagship supertrawler “Vladimir Limanov” owned by the Russian Fishery Company arrives in Vladivostok for scheduled customs clearance and presentation to the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping, RFC says in its press release. During the voyage, F/V “Vladimir Limanov” underwent a number of inspections to determine the efficiency and reliability of the new vessel in real operating conditions. Leading Russian and Japanese food companies have already appreciated the first batches of high-quality products. The vessel is ready for operation and can set out on a fishing voyage. >click to read< 18:54
State of the art super trawler Mekhanik Sizov launched in Russia
The Admiralty Shipyards, located in St. Petersburg, have been the scene this Sunday of the launching ceremony of the super trawler of last generation Mekhanik Sizov. The ceremony, held during the day of Russian Navy Day, was attended by the country’s president, Vladimir Putin. Ships of this type measure 108 meters in length and 21 meters in beam. In addition, they have warehouses of 5,500 cubic meters. The ST-192 project ships reach a speed of 15 knots (almost 28 kilometers per hour), while their autonomy allows them to remain in the open sea for 45 days with a crew on board up to 139 members. photo, gif, >click to read< 13:21
Crab Goes to Auction Again
Russia’s Federal Agency for Fisheries has rolled out plans to run a second round of crab quota auctions. This is not likely to happen soon, as among other reasons, because there is simply no capacity to build crabbers in Russia’s Far East. ‘Federal Agency for Fisheries is working on the second round of crab auctions,’ confirmed the Agency’s director Ilya Shestakov, adding that just like during the first round, quotas are planned to be sold with “investment liabilities.” It is estimated that the first-round winners embarked on the construction of 35 crabbers with a total value of 57.4 billion rubles ($800 million). >click to read< 13:50
Deteriorating pastures?
A significant drop in Pacific Ocean salmon harvests last year is driving new questions as to whether the ocean has reached its salmon carrying capacity. The discussion comes at a time when sockeye returns to Alaska’s nationally recognized Copper River are again struggling. The North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC) at the end of May reported that 2020 commercial salmon harvests hit a low not seen in almost four decades. Respected Canadian fisheries scientist Dick Beamish, one of the world’s top authorities on Pacific salmon, “There is no doubt that declining trends in the commercial catch result from decreasing coastal ocean carrying capacity,” he wrote. He also attached a copy of a presentation he was invited to deliver to the Canadian Federal Committee on Fisheries. >click to read< 10:22
Fish Trawler With Over 80 People On Board Has Caught Fire In Sea Of Okhotsk
A fish trawler with over 80 people on board has caught fire in Russia’s Sea of Okhotsk, there is no threat of sinking, according to preliminary information, a spokesman for the regional emergency services told Sputnik on Thursday. “The burning trawler is around 200 kilometers [124 miles] away from Magadan, the holds of the vessel are in flames,” the spokesman said, adding that there are over 80 people on board. No injuries have been reported so far, the spokesman went on to say. >link< 21:18
