Fishermen threaten to fire employees if fish and crab fishing rights are withdrawn

The redistribution of quotas for the production of fish and crab will not allow fish producers to fulfill their obligations to maintain jobs and increase wages. This is stated in the resolution of the joint meeting of employers and trade unions of the fishing industry of December 12. Vedomosti got acquainted with this document, its authenticity was confirmed by a representative of the Russian Union of Employers-Fishing Industry (RSRR).

Earlier, the Federal Agency for Fishery, the RSRR and the trade union of fish industry workers entered into a tripartite agreement that provides for a ban on the dismissal of more than 10 people within 30 days from individual divisions of the companies (this means that no more than 10 people can be fired from each division every month).

It also declares commitments to raise wages for employees. But on October 27 of this year, the State Duma adopted in the first reading a bill on the second stage of investment quotas for the extraction of water resources. It is planned that it will come into force on January 1, 2023. It will redistribute 24% of pollock and herring quotas in the Far East, 50% of crab fishing, and 100% of shellfish fishing quotas. According to the authors of the resolution, we are talking about 633,500 tons of water resources in the Far East. For these purposes, quotas for the production of fish and crab will be withdrawn from 116 fishing enterprises of this region. And without the opportunity to fish, more than 140 vessels will be idle, and more than 7,000 people will lose their jobs, follows from the resolution of the joint meeting of employers and trade unions in the fishing industry.