At an extraordinary session of the Legislative Assembly of the Kamchatka Territory on February 27, deputies considered amendments to the law “On Fisheries and Aquatic Biological Resources.” The parliamentarians expressed concern that the single deadline for renegotiating fishing contracts (until December 30, 2025), set out in the draft law adopted by the State Duma in the first reading, could harm the fishing industry in Kamchatka.
In this regard, the regional parliament has developed its own legislative initiative proposing to postpone this deadline to December 30, 2026. This initiative was prepared in close cooperation with the Government of the Kamchatka Territory and representatives of the fishing community of the region.
Irina Untilova, Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the Kamchatka Territory, explained that the current version of the bill, adopted in the first reading, raises serious concerns among the Kamchatka Territory and other Far Eastern regions, as it endangers the fisheries complex. She noted that the conclusion of contracts is impossible without the necessary regulatory framework and a clear understanding of the boundaries of fishing areas. At the same time, according to the draft law, enterprises must pay a fee for fishing for 40 years in advance, and the regulatory framework defining the boundaries of the sites will appear only in a year. Untilova is sure that in such conditions many enterprises will not be able to continue their activities. She stressed that the fishing industry is the backbone of Kamchatka’s economy, providing income, jobs and stability in remote villages in the region, so the authorities advocate for the interests of fishermen.
Untilova also added that Kamchatka fishing enterprises are ready to fulfill their obligations to pay to the budget, but insist on concluding contracts according to clear and transparent rules.
Andrey Zdetovetsky, Minister of Fisheries of the Kamchatka Territory, and Vladimir Galitsyn, Chairman of the Kamchatka Salmon Producers Association, expressed gratitude to the Kamchatka deputies for supporting the industry.
Galitsyn stressed that the adoption of the law in the wording proposed by the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia would negatively affect not only the fishing sector of Kamchatka, but also the entire Far East. He explained that at the current key interest rate, most companies will not be able to get loans, and those who can will face difficulties in paying them back. We are talking about an amount of 170-180 billion rubles. All this, according to Galitsyn, will negatively affect the work of Kamchatka’s fisheries complex and lead to higher prices for fish products. He also said that, according to the calculations of the Research Institute of the Ministry of Finance of Russia, if the deadline is not postponed, 38 Kamchatka companies will not be able to renegotiate contracts for their sites.
Galitsyn drew attention to the lack of modern regulatory requirements at the federal level for describing the boundaries of fishing areas. He noted that there is a possibility of concluding contracts for sites with existing borders, and in 2026 there may be a transition to a description according to new requirements. In this case, Galitsyn suggested, some users will not be able to fish on their sites due to non-compliance with the new requirements, and it will be impossible to return the fee paid to the budget according to the current rules.
Galitsyn also expressed concern that representatives of other regions may replace Kamchatka fishing companies, which will lead to a decrease in tax revenues to the regional budget. He explained that currently enterprises fishing for Pacific salmon and other prey in the Kamchatka waters are registered in Kamchatka, but current legislation does not require linking to the region. There is a risk that Kamchatka enterprises, having lost their land plots, will lose their jobs, and the land plots will be transferred to representatives of other regions who will pay taxes in their regions.
Irina Untilova said that the legislative initiative of Kamchatka is supported by the parliaments of all Far Eastern regions. She announced the direction of the initiative to the State Duma Committee, as well as to the Chairman of the State Duma and the Chairman of the Federation Council. On March 19, a meeting of the State Duma Committee on Agrarian Issues will be held, at which representatives of the Kamchatka parliament and the fishing community plan to discuss the risks for the entire Far East and express the hope that their position will be heard.
Earlier, the State Duma approved in the first reading a bill concerning the renegotiation of contracts for the use of fishing grounds. According to this document, bona fide users will be able to renegotiate agreements without holding auctions until December 30, 2025. To do this, companies will need to pay a contribution and assume additional obligations related to the socio-economic development of the regions and control over production processes at the sites. The largest financial burden, estimated at about 240 billion rubles, will fall on enterprises engaged in salmon fishing. The State Duma Committee on Agrarian Issues received an appeal from the governors of the Far Eastern regions, three committees of the Federation Council and the Kamchatka Legislative Assembly with a proposal to postpone the deadline for completing the re-registration of land plots from December 31, 2025 to 2026. This proposal is aimed at preventing mass bankruptcies of fishing companies.