What’s on the fish’s mind

On April 8, 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin met in the Kremlin with the head of Rosrybolovstvo, Ilya Shestakov, and listened to a report on the state of the fishing industry. Kommersant special correspondent Andrey Kolesnikov Meanwhile, I became interested in the fundamental question – how much fish in Russia falls on the snout.

The meeting with the head of Rosrybolovstvo, Ilya Shestakov, was planned a long time ago, but right now, when fish so confidently and even defiantly take their toll from people on flooded rivers, such a meeting is simply symbolic. In short, she’s on the crest.

But no, in fact, not everything with fish is as good and carefree as one might assume. After all, a person like Ilya Shestakov, the head of Rosrybolovstvo, interacts with her. For a fish to relax in such a situation is criminal frivolity.

“Vladimir Vladimirovich, I would like to report on the results of the fishing industry for 2023,” he said. “As I have already reported, Russian fishermen have produced a record catch over the past 30 years…

– For 30 years?! – the president asked him again and made a sign with his lips: “Oh-ho-ho!”

The figure really should have impressed Vladimir Putin. This is even more than he works as president (and prime minister, yes). And this is truly impressive.

Unless you take into account that much more fish began to be exported.

— 5.3 million tons! – confirmed Ilya Shestakov. – Our main traditional species, of course, is pollock! The salmon poutine was also good. We produced the second largest record in the entire history of observations: we had 670 thousand, and this year – 609 (thousand tons.— A.K.)!

I know several restaurant business owners who have long wanted to open a fish “PUTIN Restaurant”. Yes, just write it in capslock. And something has not yet been discovered.

— Sardine, ivashi (this is the same thing if we talk about the Far Eastern sardine.— A.K.… A popular fish among Russians,” explained Ilya Shestakov, who apparently thought that Vladimir Putin may well not be in the know. “It also has a large volume this year: 544 thousand (apparently, tons.” A.K.). And here I would like to note that we have another record! Our vessel, under our flag, carrying out this fishery, caught more than 90 thousand in a year (also, probably not pieces, but tons.— A.K.)! This is a world record among all ships! This is a good indicator.

Vladimir Putin pursed his lips again meaningfully.

“There were two problems,” Ilya Shestakov did not hide, “related to feed and planting material…

It would seem that Russia has never had problems with planting material. But that’s not true.

“Now factories are already being built in preparation for this support measure. But I think that in 2028–2029, in those areas that have not been developed in our country, we will also close our planting material.

Vladimir Putin looked hopeful.

Ilya Shestakov said that new fishing vessels are being built and that “we are also moving into transportation.”

— Four refrigerated transport vessels will be built. We will not only introduce fishing, but also the delivery of fish from the fishery to the shore! – the head of Rosrybolovstvo has only promised so far. – That is, the first four vessels will be laid down and built like this… I would like to briefly talk about the economic indicators of the industry. In general, the turnover of enterprises has increased, and tax revenues are growing. The income from the auctions that we held for crabs amounted to 380 billion rubles.

The numbers were staggering. That’s where the money is, if anyone doesn’t understand. Moreover, it was said almost in passing.

— And crab catchers are also being built and laid down, right? – Vladimir Putin asked again as part of the overall winning strategy.

“Yes, but crab fishermen are involved in private investment,” Ilya Shestakov stopped him in fairness.

But he was also encouraging:

— What is very important: in 2023, we made changes to the Tax Code and increased tax rates for fishermen. Budget income is ten times more than it was before!

That is, it must be assumed that the rates were increased by about the same amount.

And somewhere else they are sad that they will soon be covered by the new progressive personal income tax. Pray that it was not carried out by the revolutionary of his cause, Ilya Shestakov.

It’s worth saying right away that later, at the end of the meeting, Vladimir Putin was again interested in the issues of quotas and shipbuilding:

“Vladimir Vladimirovich, the fishermen, of course, before the sanctions, actively used Western technologies,” sighed Ilya Shestakov. “The partners acted very badly, of course, towards our fishing industry, because they simply stopped supplying these products and did not even return the advances that were paid.

They turned out to be bad partners. Not good.

“Now supplies have been established either from friendly countries,” but Ilya Shestakov said. “Somewhere our industrialists paid attention to domestic production…

— Domestic equipment! – Vladimir Putin heard familiar encouraging words.

“I know that many people did not consider domestic equipment before,” Ilya Shestakov mournfully confirmed, “they were dismissive.” And now we are very happy!

And what remains for them, I wanted to ask again.

“The question arises: they purchased quotas, paid for them, but the ships were not built on time, objectively speaking, for reasons beyond their control,” the president continued. “Do they have to pay for the quotas again?” Or what?

Vladimir Putin lobbied for the interests of ship customers.

They need this, because as a result of the “quota revolution” (we are talking about the introduction of the institution of auctions instead of the historical principle of quota distribution), in addition to its obvious advantages, the debt burden in the industry is nearly a trillion rubles. Not only many ships, but also their owners were drifting or simply on their side.

“No, if we talk about ships, here we extended the construction period, realizing that there are difficulties,” the head of Rosrybolovstvo understood the president. “We extended the opportunity for construction from five to seven years.” This was done for the fishing fleet. For crabbers, no decision has yet been made. But we are now discussing how to formalize it correctly. There was also a term of five years… We assume that we will also extend it…

Meanwhile, Ilya Shestakov reported on the state of mind:

“I would like to say briefly that science is very important for us… We carry out resource research…” he explained. “There are quite a large number of doctors of science and candidates of science!” It is very important that the average age has been updated in recent years! Now he is 47 years old.

“Lower,” after thinking it over, Mr. Putin decided to correct it.

Yes, you can update your record. Is this a record?.. The President followed the speech of the head of Rosrybolovstvo.

– Yes, downgrade, sorry! — Ilya Shestakov warmly agreed.

Meanwhile, he had another optimistic news:

— Within the framework of the Russia-Africa forum, there was your instruction, we are now preparing to conduct a large African survey! — said Ilya Shestakov. “We are currently working with our colleagues from African countries on a large African survey to study fish stocks in African countries.” We are currently discussing this with our colleagues. There is funding for this, a headquarters has been created. We should start in the second half of the year!

There must finally be a payoff from the night vigils in St. Petersburg at the Russian-African summit last summer. Moreover, for now we are only talking about surveying reserves, which our African friends themselves cannot even evaluate. Oh, it’s better not to even know about what’s coming to French President Emmanuel Macron.

However, he knows too well that the owner of the African coast is actually China: from Morocco to South Africa, the entire West Coast of Africa is in its power. And there, experts say, Chinese fishermen are rowing megatrawlers. And we are just getting ready to shoot.

“Yes, our friends asked for this,” Mr. Putin confirmed seemingly blithely. “And they are interested in working together.”

“We will definitely take their scientists on board,” Mr. Shestakov assured.

Yes, they are unlikely to refuse to swim.

The fish farming part of the fishery is also stronger than ever in some ways:

“Such an important area as the reproduction of sturgeon…” said the head of Rosrybolovstvo. “Yes, it doesn’t work out in all areas, but it is with sterlet that we now see that the stock has recovered greatly!” This is noted by both amateur fishermen and industrialists!

— How do amateurs record that there are more sterlet if fishing is prohibited? – the president asked.

– They, Vladimir Vladimirovich, are catching. She gets caught. They are forced to let her go! — Ilya Shestakov did not give in to fish farming.

— And in the north the population is also increasing? — Vladimir Putin specified.

But Mr. Shestakov should have, or at least could have, grabbed hold of the “livestock.” No matter how much you would like to, you won’t be able to count the fish by their heads. “Livestock” is still about pigs and cows. One can understand that Vladimir Putin is more accustomed to this, and literary reminiscences make themselves felt. But fish are considered to be schools or schools.

Although now, maybe they will start counting fish by their heads. This has happened more than once in recent Russian history.

However, strictly speaking, counting “by heads” is wrong from the very beginning. For a fish, as you know, has not a head, but a snout. The director of the Bios Research and Production Center Lidiya Vasilyeva reported this to Vladimir Putin at one time, back in 2007 in Astrakhan, when he was releasing fry.

And nothing was said at this meeting about the main problem, about the main indicator of successful fishing in Russia, that is, about the consumption of fish per capita, not the fish itself, but directly for the average per capita Russian.

Meanwhile, consumption per snout is small. That is, Rosstat reports that by the end of 2023 – approximately 19 kg per year. At the same time, experts know that these kilograms include “trimmings,” that is, fins, tails and even intestines. And for healthy, proper nutrition (PN), as Mr. Putin himself reported at one of the meetings in August 2023, a Russian person needs to eat at least 28 kg of fish per year.

And there is no way to increase the consumption of fish per snout.

Even if you crack.

From this cod.