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Murmansk unprofitable fishermen go to sea for cheap fish
Murmansk region may be left without the most "popular", the cheapest fish species - herring, blue whiting and Polar cod.
In the fishing industry Zapolyarya a critical situation. The current summer, hundreds or even thousands of fishermen may be left without work, as a region shortfall of about 60 thousand tons of herring, 39 thousand tons of Polar cod and 15 thousand tonnes of blue whiting. What caused by the situation, tried to clarify the correspondent "WP".
It turned out that one of the main reasons for "fish" crisis - nemotivirovanny increases in the price of diesel fuel. It is because of this industrial fishing becomes unattractive. For example, during the 200 year fuel went from 1 thousand 600 rubles to 2 thousand 800 rubles per tonne. However, the fuel component - not the only thing that prevents fishermen.
The second problem - wear Murmansk vessels fishing fleet. Experts estimate that the total depreciation of ships is about 70 per cent. Obviously, outdated trawlers consume much more fuel than new or upgraded. With such expensive fuel to go to ruin in a sea of cheap fish supplied to the domestic Russian market, - that still carry water sieves. Now a large freezer trawlers only to cover the cost needed to produce per day about 40 tons of herring in power in 55-60 tons. As already here profitability.
-- Even if the price increases will be stopped, it is still unprofitable, we catch sild - spoke in an interview with the correspondent of "WP" executive director of one of Murmansk in fishery companies Nikolay Karlin. -- Our modern vessels that have a day may be harvested more than 200 tons of fish, with such prices for fuel will be in a very slight advantage. A obsolete - generally remain in damages. So if no rain assistance from the authorities, fishing cheap fish will have to terminate.
According to fishermen, the price "scissors" have to compensate by fishing more expensive species of fish - cod and haddock. However, quotas are already disbursed more than half. At the current catches can be expected that by November quotas and fully depleted fleet will be simple. A similar situation exists in almost every region in fishery enterprises. In including the coastal fishing vessels. As the supply chilled fish to shore in the current circumstances, much more expensive than ice cream raw materials, coastal fisheries risked fail.
Of course, all these problems - namely, expensive fuel and an ageing fleet - make utopian promises from officials to return the Murmansk fishing trawlers in the home port.
Since January 2009, our fishermen will be obliged to declare all fish caught in the exclusive economic zone of Russia, in its ports. The leaders of local fishing companies, who have to talk correspondent
"RG", in an assured voice: in practice this will lead to additional costs for the conversions. And if added to this imminent downtime in the Murmansk port, the fish will generally unattractive affair. Or the cost of these costs would have to vbivat in the price of fish.
In addition, many experts doubt that the port of Murmansk will be able to accommodate a large number of ships. Fuels for bunkering port in the fishing trawlers is not enough today. What to expect future winter when here to send a flotilla? There is no accounting nor talk about modernization of fleet worn to the limit, nor on the development of the port or the resuscitation of coastal fish, which still is in a lamentable state.
The decline of the fishing industry has already affected the volume of catches. In 200 blue whiting, we catch by 31 per cent less than in the year 2006, a species of bottom water bio - by 20 percent. True, there are
success: catch Atlantic herring grew by 3 per cent. But the high cost of fuel this achievement brings to naught. And if not modernize the fleet, will inevitably begin to fall size of quotas, since it depends on the amount extracted from fish and the number of working ships.
Exit, according to the fishermen, can be only one - state compensation of expenses for fuel or cancellation fees bio. Murmansk fishermen once again intend to apply to the regional Duma. In their view, our MPs should come up with a legislative initiative in the lower house of parliament, to protect not only fishermen but also ordinary citizens who buy inexpensive fish.

Commentary
Oleg Oniskevich,
The Acting Head of Department of Fisheries Murmansk region:
-- We can hardly anything in this situation. Select funds for the compensation cost of fuel from the regional budget is unrealistic - it has already created. Search must exit the federal center. It is necessary to provide grants or suppliers of fuel, or fishermen. To the Government of Russia has already sent a letter, but there is no answer. To be sure, there are problems with the supply of fuel even on such high prices. Not only that it lacks both the quality and still not very good.