In a meeting in Murmansk recently between the Murmansk regional government, the Federal Fishery Agency, Murmansk Sea Fish Port, Atomflot and other interested parties, it was decided to develop a concept for a container line between Murmansk and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the Murmansk regional government’s web site reads.
Fish product delivery by the Northern Sea Route means a reduced time of transportation and reduced costs, according to First Deputy Governor of Murmansk Oblast Aleksei Tyukavin. Murmansk Sea Fish Port has well developed infrastructure, sufficient storage and refrigerating facilities to implement this project, he said.
Delivery of fish products from the Far East along the Northern Sea Route will contribute to strengthen the country’s food security, which is especially important now in light of the existing embargo on import of some foodstuffs, it was said at the meeting.
Fish products are planned to be delivered both from the Far East to Murmansk and from Murmansk to the east, to supply Kamchatka and Magadan regions.
The Northern Sea Route has already been used for shipment of fish. In 2011 four refrigerators brought a total of 27 500 tons of fish from Asia to St. Petersburg via Murmansk. In 2012 the freezer ship “Skyfrost”, owned by Greek Laskaridis Shipping transported 8265 tons of frozen fish from Asia to Russia. The 2189 nautical miles long journey from Cape Dezhnev on the Chukchi Peninsula to Mys Zhelaniya on Novaya Zamlya took 180,5 hours or 7,5 days, the ship owner said to BarentsObserver.
Following the discussion at the meeting it was decided to determine the interested enterprises willing to supply their fish products by the Northern Sea Route; to look into possible sale of fish products from the Far East via wholesale enterprises of Murmansk; to determine the volume of supplied fish which the port of Murmansk can handle; to explore the issue of concentration of the port’s material and technical resources for immediate unloading of refrigerated fish transport, to prepare operating schedules for refrigerator ships and icebreakers to avoid individual icebreaking and ensure lower icebreaking rates.
Murmansk Transport Hub and Murmansk Sea Fish Port are going to develop a concept for a container line between Murmansk and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The next meeting to discuss shipment of fish between east and west will be held in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky or in Moscow, and will include stake holders from the Far East, the Murmansk regional government’s web site reads.
