Representatives of the indigenous peoples of the North have completed their final application campaign for traditional fishing. Starting next year, a simplified procedure for accessing aquatic bioresources will take effect in Kamchatka and other regions of the Russian Far East, eliminating the need for annual quota applications. The North-Eastern Territorial Administration of the Federal Agency for Fishery is currently processing the final set of documents that will regulate fishing operations in 2027.
The new mechanism allows residents to harvest fish within established volume limits without obtaining special permits. Registration in a dedicated registry maintained by the Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs is the primary condition for exercising this right. The system shifts regulatory oversight from a format of regular applications to a regime of continuous record-keeping – a change designed to eliminate the annual paperwork previously required to confirm indigenous status.
A transitional period will remain in place for several years. The indigenous population has until the beginning of 2028 to officially confirm their ethnic affiliation and enter their data into the federal registry. The administrative procedure takes approximately one month, and documents can be submitted through the state services portal, multifunctional public service centers, or directly to the relevant department. Upon the conclusion of this phase, access to rivers and coastal waters for traditional fishing will be restricted exclusively to individuals included in the approved federal list.