Sentenced to prison for abetting murder the large fishing businessman Oleg Kan is wanted in a murder case; he is also accused of smuggling worth RUB 2.6 billion. Lawyers reported that he had died and asked to close the case. The prosecution called this statement false

On the 7th, defense attorneys for Oleg Kang, who was sentenced to 17 years in prison for his role in the murder of a businessman in 2010, filed an appeal against the sentence. Multiple Russian media outlets reported on the same day.

The death of businessman Oleg Kan, known as the “crab king,” was staged. This was stated by a representative of the Prosecutor General's Office during a meeting of the arbitration court on the department's claim against Kan and several other fishing owners.

The Prosecutor General's Office indicated that the registry offices of St. Petersburg and the Sakhalin region presented the same certificates stating that Kan's death was not registered. In addition, relatives did not contact the registry office, although the law requires filing a statement about the death of a person if it becomes known.

In February 2020, the Khabarovsk Regional Court granted the investigation's request to arrest Oleg Kan in absentia. The entrepreneur was accused of organizing the contract murder of businessman Valery Phidenko in 2010.

In the second criminal case, which was sent to the court of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Oleg Kan is accused of organizing a criminal community, smuggling live crab to Japan.

Russian fishermen continue to increase their total catch of fish and seafood. According to the industry monitoring system of Rosrybolovstvo (Federal Agency for Fishery), by April 16 this year, production volume amounted to 1.7 million tons, which is 2.6% more than last year.

The growth of the all-Russian catch is provided mainly by fishermen of the Far East: the figure amounted to almost 1.4 million tons (+7.5% compared to the 2023 level). Good performance in the fishery for pollock (+8%), flounder (+5%), and herring (+13.5%).

Source: Fish Focus l Read the full article here

The Federal Agency for Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo) will hold an auction on May 23, 2024 for the sale of a share of the quota for the production of aquatic biological resources in the Western and Far Eastern fishery basins.(In the areas of international treaties of the Russian Federation)

Lots with quotas have been put up for auction again:

• Cod in the Baltic Sea (subarea 26)
• Atlantic red flounder in Subarea 3NO of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Regulatory Area
• Stingrays in subdistricts 3 LNO NAFO
• Squid-illex in subdistricts 3+4 of the NAFO region
• White burbot in subdistricts 3NO NAFO
• Wea ??bass in the Northeast Atlantic Fisheries Convention (NEAFC) regulatory area
• Lemonemas in a 200-mile zone adjacent to the coast of Japan in the northwest Pacific Ocean.

        According to these lots for participation in auctions in 2023-2024. no applications were received. The auction was declared invalid; when repeated, the starting price of the lots was reduced by 10%.

Source: Federal Agency for Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo)

All-Russian catch of fish and seafood maintains positive growth dynamics - more than 1.7 million tons were produced

Russian fishermen continue to increase their total catch of fish and seafood. According to the industry monitoring system of Rosrybolovstvo (TSMS), by April 16, production volume amounted to 1.7 million tons, which is 2.6% more than last year.

The growth of the all-Russian catch is provided mainly by fishermen of the Far East: the figure amounted to almost 1.4 million tons (+7.5% compared to the 2023 level). Good performance in the fishery for pollock (+8%), flounder (+5%), and herring (+13.5%).

Fisheries in the Northern Basin continue to increase their catch dynamics: production volume increased by almost 11.5% – to 165 thousand tons. The catch of capelin exceeded the level of last year by more than 2 times, crab by 10%, and flounder by 2.6 times.

Positive dynamics are also observed in the Azov-Black Sea basin: more than 10.7 thousand tons were produced, which is 5.5% higher than the 2023 level. In particular, the catch of anchovy increased by 8%, and sprat by 3.5 times.

In addition, the increase continues with the development of freshwater fish species in the internal objects of the East Siberian and Baikal basins.

Rosrybolovstvo regularly monitors the volume of production and supply of fish products to domestic and foreign markets in order to prioritize providing the country's population with fish products in the required volume.

Source: Federal Agency of Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo)

Ussuri customs officers did not allow a tourist to be taken from Russia to China with the thirteen teeth of a sperm whale. A criminal case has been opened, the violator faces up to 10 years in prison, reports the Federal Customs Service (FCS) of Russia.

“Three teeth were found in the jacket pocket of a Russian tourist, and another 10 were found in the bathrooms of the Pogranichny checkpoint,” the Federal Customs Service said in a statement.

The man admitted that a Chinese citizen asked him to transport derivatives of an endangered animal species across the border for money.

“Three acquaintances were involved in the scheme. They were supposed to take out 10 teeth, but after the organizer was detained, they decided to get rid of the evidence and threw it into trash cans in the bathrooms,” the customs officers explained.

The examination showed that the teeth are of cultural value and are protected by the CITES Convention.

Customs officers opened a criminal case. “The violator faces up to 10 years in prison,” the service said in a statement.

The positive dynamics of the all-Russian catch of aquatic biological resources continues - the fishing rate is 2% faster than last year.

According to the industry monitoring system of Rosrybolovstvo (TSMS), by April 10, more than 1.6 million tons of fish and seafood were harvested.

The growth of the all-Russian catch is mainly ensured by fishermen of the Far East: the figure exceeded 1.32 million tons (+6% compared to the 2023 level). Good performance in the fishery for pollock (+6.3%), flounder (+8.3%), and herring (+15%).

Production in the Northern Basin is on an upward trajectory compared to last year: fishermen harvested almost 157 thousand tons, an increase of 14.6%.

Fishing indicators for capelin (more than doubled), crabs (+23%), and flounder (2.7 times) increased.

In the Azov-Black Sea basin, the catch is also growing: more than 10.6 thousand tons were caught - 9% higher. In particular, the catch of anchovy increased by 12%, and sprat by 3.5 times.

In addition, the increase continues with the development of freshwater fish species in the internal objects of the East Siberian and Baikal basins.

Rosrybolovstvo regularly monitors the volume of production and supply of fish products to domestic and foreign markets in order to prioritize providing the country's population with fish products in the required volume.

Source: Federal Agency for Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo)

Russian fishermen complete the first pollock season with a positive mark: more than 1 million tons were harvested

By April 10, the pollock catch exceeded 1 million tons - this figure is 6% higher than last year. The final headquarters for organizing the production of pollock and herring in the Sea of ??Okhotsk and Bering Seas in the Far Eastern fishery basin in season “A” (winter-spring) 2024 took place at Rosrybolovstvo.

Deputy Head of Rosrybolovstvo Vasily Sokolov reminded fisheries producers of the need to promptly stop the specialized fishery for pollock in the North Sea of ??Okhotsk subzone (fishing is closed on April 10 in accordance with fishing rules).

Since the beginning of the year, the catch of Pacific herring in the Far Eastern basin amounted to 189 thousand tons (15% higher than the 2023 level).

As of April 8, the total load of fish refrigerators in the Primorsky Territory was 32% - 36.2 thousand tons of fresh frozen fish products are stored in the terminals. At the approach to the seaports of the Primorsky Territory there were 40 vessels with 85.8 thousand tons of fish products, including pollock (61.6 thousand tons), herring (18.3 thousand tons) and cod (0.8 thousand . tons).

“Season has ended, the preliminary results are good. We will discuss the results at the end of April at the Far Eastern Scientific and Fisheries Council,” said Vasily Sokolov.

Source: Federal Agency for Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo)

The planned volume of fish catch in Russia by 2030 will be 6 million tons; last year it exceeded 5.3 million, which is already a record for the last 30 years, according to the head of the Federal Fisheries Agency, Ilya Shestakov, speaking recently at the International Exhibition and Forum “Russia”.

In addition, by 2030, according to the development strategy, the structure of fish production will also change: the share of deep processing of catches in the total volume should increase to 50%. 

Source: Fish Focus l Read the full article here

According to the results of the analysis of the branch’s data, a record number of sturgeon species will take part in the current year’s fish farming season.

Compared to the last season, this year the total mass of mature females is 35% greater, which also means that the volume of caviar planned to be produced at sturgeon hatcheries in the branch’s area of ??operation will be a record one.

In addition to the impressive volume of mature spawners, the 2024 hatchery season will feature a male beluga weighing over 205 kg, which was once harvested from the wild and domesticated. This individual has established itself as a producer with high quality reproductive products; this male has participated in reproduction more than 10 times.

Fish farmers say: “We are always happy to have such fish participate in the spawning campaign. Yes, it's hard! It is really huge, about 3 meters in length and continues to grow. More than 6 people will be involved in receiving sexual products from him - we must keep it! The tail is powerful! Beluga is a smart fish and a predator after all. However, the character is serious.”

The sex ratio for fertilization of beluga eggs is 1:2. However, this male can provide reproductive products for eggs from several females. Working with such individuals is difficult and dangerous due to their mass, which is why special equipment is used in the process.

Source: Glavrybvod (translated from original in Russian)

Russia/UK Barents Sea Fisheries Agreement Ends Tomorrow

The Russian Government’s decision to end a decades old fisheries agreement which allowed the United Kingdom access to fish in the Barents Sea will come into effect as of tomorrow.

On 11 March 2024, Russian President, Vladmir Putin, signed into law Federal Law No. 40-FZ on denunciation of the fisheries agreement with the United Kingdom. The law will come into force in ten days after its publication, which is 21 March 2024.

Source: The Fishing Daily l  Read the full article here