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A delegation of eight Japanese investors toured Primorye's fishing industry July 13-20 to research opportunities in the region.

Fyodor Novikov, vice-governor of fishing and trade, said at the opening meeting that Primorye has the third-largest fishing industry in Russia and outlined several ways in which his region and Japan can work together.


The vice-governor's aim is to get small fishing boats which can operate close to the shore, he said. Over the years, the fishing industry has changed. Before, fishermen mostly worked on the open seas, but now they have split into two groups: those that fish in deep waters and those that fish on the Primori an shelf. That's why he wants more fishing boats. For example, said Novikov, 400,000 tons of squid could be caught per year, but right now that is impossible.


Primorye is also grappling with artificially high domestic seafood prices, said Novikov. Low seafood prices in Japan mean most of the region's product leaves Russia, keeping prices high here, where people can't afford to buy the seafood.


There is a huge market for kale, but no one is cultivating it, Novikov said. The Russian navy recently abandoned several bays in Primorye, leaving opportunities for marine agriculture.


The Japanese delegates, representing a variety of industries, voiced a few concerns and presented ideas.


One Japanese businessman worried about radiation in Primorye's seas. Novikov answered that scientists say radiation floats to the bottom of the ocean, where shellfish live. Yet many Japanese people buy Primorian shellfish "with pleasure."


Another delegate asked if Primorye would have enough energy to fuel huge fishing-enterprise refrigerators, and the vice-governor said local companies already have 1.5-ton coolers.


The participants also discussed fish-boat barters between the two countries and the possibility of building small boats on Primorian territory using Japanese content. Besides the Japanese, several other countries may soon work with Primorye.