The III Global Fishery Forum agenda features inclusion of fishermen’s settlements in the Integrated Rural Development state programme and mechanisms for implementing the tripartite sectoral agreement on fisheries management organizations. The session will be moderated by Senator Sergei Mitin.
A roundtable discussion entitled ‘Fisheries: Social Dimension as a Factor for the Development of Territories’ will be held on 11 July as part of the Global Fishery Forum 2019. Participants will discuss whether fishing industry towns are capable of developing, what is needed for creating a complete social infrastructure in hard-to-reach regions and the improvement of fishermen’s working and living conditions.
Fisheries are the foundation for the country’s coastal areas social development. Fish processing requires creation of a proper coastal production and social infrastructure.
Yet the seasonal nature of fishing creates a number of problems associated with periodic underutilization or, conversely, shortages of both production sites and human resources. This hampers sustainable development of the region.
In June, the Russian Government approved a state programme called ‘Integrated Rural Development’ for 2020–2025, totalling RUB 2.3 trillion. It is aimed at increasing employment and the welfare of the rural population, creating convenient and favourable living conditions, as well as ensuring transport accessibility, development of telecommunications, engineering and social rural infrastructure. The State Programme priority areas are the Far Eastern and North Caucasus Federal Districts, the Republic of Crimea, Sevastopol and the Kaliningrad Region, as well as the constituent entities of the Federation, some of which are part of the Arctic zone of Russia. This means that fishermen’s settlements may also be included in the programme.
«Fishing as an integral part of agriculture is a fundamental factor in accelerating the development of Russia’s economy, enabling it to create new jobs and ensuring the country’s food security. The problems of sustainable development and social sphere of rural areas are constantly at the focus of attention of the Federation Council and its specialized committee on agriculture and food policy and environmental management,» said Sergei Mitin, First Deputy Chair of the Committee on Agriculture and Food Policy and Environmental Management.
For his part, Ilya Shestakov, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Russia and Head of the Federal Agency for Fisheries, stressed that the programme for onshore processing modernization, which is being implemented through a mechanism of investment quotas, will help create new jobs and boost output of high quality products, in the first place for the local population. In addition, coastal fishermen are entitled to a quota supplement if they deliver all their landings fresh and chilled. «We expect that these incentive measures will give an impetus to development of the regions, raising the quality of life and reducing migration flows to big cities,» the Head of the Federal Agency for Fisheries concluded.
The signing of a tripartite sectoral agreement on fisheries management organizations is an important step for development of the industry. This document addresses issues related to social and labour relations and wages, vocational education, occupational health protection and boosting of employment. The Federal Agency for Fisheries, All-Russia Association of Employers in the Fishing Industry and the Central Committee of the Russian Trade Union of Fisheries Workers are planning to sign this agreement during the III Global Fishery Forum. Mechanisms for implementing it will also be discussed at the roundtable.
«Additional financing, improvement of living and working conditions are the fundamental factors for development of fishing industry towns. This is the key concern of public organizations and the state regulator. Signing of the tripartite agreement could qualitatively change the approach to ensuring working conditions for fishermen, and inclusion of fishing settlements in the state programme for rural development will help enhance quality of life and create the necessary social infrastructure. All this will ensure effective development of fishing regions and the industry as a whole,» believes German Zverev, President of the All-Russia Association of Fisheries Enterprises, Entrepreneurs and Exporters.
The III Global Fishery Forum and International Exhibition of Fish Industry, Seafood and Technology (Seafood Expo Russia) will be held in St. Petersburg from 10 to 12 July 2019. The venue will be the Exproforum Convention and Exhibition Centre. The organizer is the Federal Agency for Fisheries, the Forum’s Operator is the Roscongress Foundation
Close
