Opening of Kamchatka processing plant marks last built under Russia’s quota incentives

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatkskiy, Russia-based Lenin Collective Farm Fishery (RK Lenina) officially opened a new processing plant it has dubbed Kommandor on 19 September, 2022, with claims that the new facility is unique even by global standards.

The new facility is in the village of Oktyabrsky, located in a coastal area of the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s Far East. The new facility has a daily production capacity of 230 metric tons (MT) of canned fish, fillet, and mince; 40 MT of fishmeal; and 30 MT of fish oil and is, according to the company, outfitted with equipment capable of processing any type of fish.

The launch of the facility is a significant milestone for Kamchatka’s seafood industry, as it marks the last facility to start operations built under Russia’s investment quota initiative. Russia has used aggressive incentives to renew both its fishing fleet and its processing capacity, and under the program eight processing facilities were planned to be built in Kamchatka. The Kommandor is the last such facility – and the second facility that RK Lenina had built under the initiative.

RK Lenina CEO Sergey Tarusov said the facility will focus on pollock, herring, and cod – with a lesser focus on fluke and salmon. According to the company, it will be able to output products in a variety of formats, including cooled, frozen, and canned. Tarusov told the Fish Kamchatka news agency the new processing plant – which will employ 220 people, cost RUB 1.9 billion (USD 31.6 million, EUR 31.7 million) …

Photo courtesy of Kamchatka Fisheries Ministry