Russia's Fishing Industry Calls For Cabinet's Enhanced Attention

Very soon the Russian fishing industry is to become efficient and a leader in the rate of development, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov said at a cabinet session on Thursday. He said that for many years the fishing industry has been worrying the government. Although fishing and natural resources in general are a province for efficient management, the government has not yet hammered out a system, for efficient use of this sector, said Kasyanov. At the same time, he admitted, certain improvements have surfaced in the sector. Partial shifting of fishing rights on the join-stock basis has increased budgetary earnings 1.5 times. Kasyanov singled out as a key problem the situation shaping in littoral territories, where fishing has been actually brought to a halt, despite all cabinet efforts. The premier mentioned certain strides made in the poaching sphere, stressing the special importance of on-going monitoring of fishing activities with the use of the latest technologies. Coastal border-guard services and law enforcers have improved control of poaching offenses. Still, these are only fragmentary strides and, as before, a comprehensive approach to the problem is not in place, stressed the premier. The cabinet will have to work out a comprehensive program of development of the fishing industry.