This year the development of aquaculture in the Arctic will be among the industrial priorities of the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic. This is according to Deputy Minister Alexander Krutikov. Together with the Arctic regions, the ministry is drafting a list of measures for developing this sector.

"This year our job is not just working out but also implementing the support mechanisms for the Artic aquaculture. Two years ago we implemented a number of solutions related to the development of the sea aquaculture in the Far East, which resulted in a four-time increase of the used water. After 2019, we can say that the production of aquaculture grew five times," Krutikov noted.

Krutikov also added that, as of today, there was no sense to extend the Far Eastern mechanism to the entire Arctic, because in some Arctic regions aquaculture was not a key industry. "This mostly concerns Karelia as well as the Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions. It won't be difficult to introduce it across the entire sea Arctic territory, but we should contemplate how to do this when it comes to lakes, so that they would also be accessible," Krutikov believes.

On January 30, the Russian government approved a package of bills on state support of entrepreneurship in the Arctic. In a few days, it will be submitted to the State Duma to be prepared for the first reading. "For us, this is a chance to envisage the special solutions that are needed to speed up the development of aquaculture in the Arctic in this system of incentives. We can do this as part of the amendments for the second reading," Krutikov said.