The obsolete Russian fishing fleet now is in dire need of upgrades, the powerful official highlighted to RIA Novosti. -Our fishermen can not compete with the Norwegians because the prime cost of our production is 25 percent higher due to enormous fuel consumption level, Mr. Krainiy said, Portnews.ru reports with reference to RIA Novosti. The Federal program for the development of the civil sea fleet provides allocations of 1 billion rubles for the construction of new fishing vessels. Within the frames of this program there will be announced tenders for the construction of small, medium and large capacity vessels under the state control. Mr. Krainiy in the interview stressed that federal authorities should use mechanisms of state guarantees or direct financing of the shipyards for construction of new vessels. Then the vessels will be passed to the private companies under the strict registeration conditions. -I think that the consortiums will be established with Norwegians who are the leaders in this field, said Andrey Krainy. The Fishery Agency leader in the interview also highlighted the successful cooperation with Norway at the Brussels European seafood exposition in April this year where Russia and Norway showed a joint presentation on the use of the resources of the Barents and North Seas. -I hope that this experience will be a basis for the Moscow fish industry exhibition “Interfish” which is to be held in autumn, he underlined.
