海参崴新闻

According to Alexander Efremov, general manager of "Dobroflot Group", harvesting and processing of sardines, which are more commonly called - iwashi, have been rebuilt in the Far East. First few hundred tons of iwashi already have been caught in the waters of Southern Kuriles and processed right in the sea on the "Vsevolod Sibirtsev" factory ship, which belongs to the "Dobroflot Group". Already next week, the first batch of iwashii preserves will get on the shelves of stores in Primorsky region for the first time in nearly 25 years.

Sardine was one of the most harvested species in the Far East. During Soviet period, almost 1 million tons of sardines were harvested annually, that brought serious harm to the population and then sardine harvesting has been stopped completely. Japan was the only country that continued sardines harvesting in the northern part of the East China Sea, but their annual haul did not exceed 10 thousand species.  

It took fishermen of Primorsky region three years to rebuilt harvesting industry. Company’s specialists needed one year and a half to make purse-seine that is used to catch iwashi. Also "Vsevolod Sibirtsev" factory ship was modernized, new equipment that allows producing sardine preserves according to Soviet recipes was installed.

According to Deputy Director of the Pacific Fishery Research Centre, Alexey Baytalyuk, at present scientists have estimated recoverable reserves of iwashi in Russian exclusive economic zone of North Pacific Ocean in amounts of 600 thousand tons, which allows to produce about 5 million cans of sardine preserves a year. By experts supposition, recoverable reserves of iwashi may be even bigger -  up to 1.5 million tons. Rebuilding of this bioresource development will increase annual fish harvesting haul in the Far East by almost a quarter.

News source: "Вести:Приморье" [ www.vestiprim.ru ]