How the infrastructure of the fishing industry is developing and what the market is striving for

The investment quota mechanism, launched in 2017, has become a noticeable catalyst for the renewal of the Russian fishing industry. It brought together the interests of business and the state, offering companies the right to catch fish in exchange for investments in the construction of vessels and onshore infrastructure. Today, eight years later, the industry community can already summarize the first results and assess both interim achievements and current challenges.

Together with our information partner Korabel.ru, we have prepared material on what has already been accomplished and what still lies ahead.

Stage One (2017–2023): Early successes and important lessons

At the first stage, the main focus was on creating processing capacities and launching updated onshore logistics. Among the implemented projects:

• Primorsky Krai, Dobroflot Group: construction of a modern onshore plant within the “quota in exchange for investment” mechanism in Bolshoy Kamen, with a capacity of over 110 tons of products per day.
• In the Tomari district (Sakhalin) and on the Northern Kuril Islands, processing plants were launched — OOO Nevod and OOO Alaid.

Most facilities were commissioned on schedule, confirming the steady interest of businesses in the investment quota mechanism. At the same time, in a number of cases there was a need for additional capacities and infrastructure, as well as further training of personnel and technological equipment.

Stage Two (2023–2025): Focus on deep processing and logistics

With the start of the second stage of investment quotas, the government expanded the scope of the program, for the first time including the construction of logistics complexes and port infrastructure as part of quota obligations.

• Fish port in Vladivostok — being built by OOO Eurasian Fishery Center (part of GK Antey). The company undertook the obligation to build a modern port with onshore infrastructure; investments are estimated at ~9 billion rubles.
• Logistics complex in Bolshoy Kamen (Nakhodka port) — being implemented by OOO Far Eastern Crab Fishing Company (DVKK), affiliated with SZRK. The project includes terminal infrastructure for storing and handling live crab and other products.
• Smaller logistics complexes — commitments were also taken by:
• OOO B-Crab (part of GK Russian Crab);
• EFC (GK Antey) for a separate small lot.

Thus, within the second stage of investment quotas, four logistics facilities are being implemented in the Russian Far East, integrating full-scale logistics infrastructure into the quota distribution program for the first time.

In addition, the second stage provides for the construction of 11 fish processing plants, including for Fishing Collective Farm named after V.I. Lenin, KamchatTrawlFleet (part of Delta Fish), Kuril Fisherman (GK Hydrostroy), and others.

Looking ahead: building a cluster model

The logical continuation of the campaign is the transition to a cluster model that unites fishing, processing, logistics, export, and marketing. Within such clusters, hubs may be formed in Primorye, Kamchatka, and Murmansk, while a unified brand of Russian fish products could be promoted in foreign markets. A key direction will be integrating all links of the chain — from vessel to store shelf — into a single digital framework.

Upcoming challenges include: building a workforce and technological base, standardization, digital compatibility, and sustainable financing.

Common challenges and development vectors

1.    Even distribution of facilities: the highest activity is still concentrated in certain regions — Murmansk, Primorye, and Kamchatka. A promising opportunity for further growth is expanding the program to other coastal regions of Russia.

2.    Technology: depending on the segment, the level of production localization already varies from 30 to 60%, but remains insufficient.

3.    Workforce: there is an increasing demand for specialists in logistics management, processing, and digital systems.

4.    Coordination: effective business interaction between government agencies, industry, investors, and customers needs to be maintained and developed.

A platform for dialogue and coordination

It is at the Global Fishery Forum & Seafood Expo Russia in St. Petersburg that presentations of key strategic industry projects take place, support measures are developed, and horizontal connections between regions and companies are formed. The participation of government, business, academia, and industry associations makes the platform unique in terms of engagement and practical orientation.

The inclusion of onshore infrastructure projects in the forum’s agenda makes Seafood Expo Russia a target platform not only for specialized fishery enterprises but also for a wide range of food industry companies. These include producers of food products, packaging, logistics solutions, and storage equipment. For them, the exhibition will feature a specialized exposition — FISH TECH GLOBAL, showcasing modern technologies and developments for enterprises across the entire supply chain of fish products.

The investment quota mechanism has proven effective as a tool for modernizing the industry. It is important to maintain the positive momentum, ensure continuity between stages, and support a high level of dialogue among all participants. To this end, in addition to business events, FISH TECH GLOBAL will also feature a Tech Marathon — a series of professional tours of equipment suppliers’ booths with an overview of the presented exposition.