Russian Federation Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Yuri Trutnev has pledged to double the Sakhalin Region’s seafood processing capacity in the next five years.
The Sakhalin Region, located in Russia’s Far East, was responsible for 774,700 metric tons (MT) of Russia’s fish and seafood catch in 2023 – or roughly 15 percent of the country’s catch. That catch was turned into 460,000 MT of fish and seafood products worth over RUB 82 billion (USD 916 million, EUR 840 million), or 86.5 percent of the total value of food products produced in the region.
Trutnev said the move will further advance upgrades to the region's processing capacity made via Russia's investment-quota program, begun in 2016, which incentivized seafood companies to invest in processing infrastructure in exchange for access to quota, according to the Russian Federal Fisheries Agency (Rosrybolovstvo).
Between 2019 and 2023, Russian companies initiated 31 infrastructure projects via the investment-quota program, comprising RUB 36 billion (USD 403 million, EUR 369 million) in investment. Among those investments were four new fish-processing plants on the islands of Shikotan, Iturup, and Sakhalin for “deep-processing” of fish. Collectively, those projects upped annual regional processing capacity by 100,000 MT.
Russia has focused on increasing its share of processed products to extract more value out of its seafood resources. Its production of surimi products from pollock increased by almost 40 percent in its recent pollock “A” season, as companies commit to more processed products.
During Russia’s “Fisherman’s Day” on 14 July, Russian President Vladimir Putin highlighted the efforts Russia is making to modernize its fishing industry.
“Fishing vessels are being built at domestic shipyards, processing plants and logistics infrastructure are being created. The competitiveness and technological independence of this strategically important sector is growing,” Putin said.
