Fishing Industry Output Fells By 3.1% In Kamchatka Region

The volume of production of the fishing industry in Kamchatka Region decreased by 3.1% to 7.1 billion rubles (about $237.2 million) in the first 9 months of 2001 compared to the corresponding period of 2000. A representative of the Fishing Industry Department of the Kamchatka Regional Administration told the Vostok-Media news agency that the reduction in the output is partly due to regional companies losing 119,368 tons of fishing resources, deducted from the regional industrial quotas to be offered at auctions. Of that amount, only 65,456 tons of fishing resources were returned to the region. There is another reason for the decline in the fishing industry. While salmon made up one fourth of the fishing volume in 2001, it made only 7% of the output in 2001, because this year has been unfavorable for salmon.