Federal Agency for Fishery (Rosrybolovstvo) Head Ilya Shestakov and Head of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) Yegor Borisov have signed a cooperation agreement to implement fishing projects and to preserve marine biology resources, reports the agency website. The document was signed during the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.  

"The agreement reflects issues of the fisheries sector's comprehensive development. The Republic of Sakha is a very active and promising region in terms of expanded fishing and aqua-farming. We need to support the Yakutia government's initiatives in these areas, all the more so as the region will play an important part in long-term Arctic development," Mr Shestakov noted.

The fishery agency and regional authorities have agreed to draft proposals to improve departmental federal legislation and implement fishing and aqua-farming projects. They also plan to implement joint research and development projects, train experts in Yakutia's fisheries industry and organize professional improvement courses.

The document stipulates joint Siberian-sturgeon breeding projects, feasibility studies to establish maximum catches and recommended fishing quotas. There are also plans to substantiate long-term off-shore and high-seas fishing prospects in the East Siberian and Laptev seas.

"We are the only Russian region to touch two seas, the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea. Their animal and plant systems have not been studied so far. Research into biological resources will open up prospects of environmentally friendly economic activity for us," Yegor Borisov noted.

He also noted that the above agreement would help adopt more effective fishing strategies and decisions in the interests of the public.