Russia begins announcing results of crab quota auctions

Russia has begun to announce the results of the round of crab investment quota auctions, which will decide who has the rights to harvest crab in multiple regions for years to come.

Russia has been signaling a second round of investment quota auctions throughout 2023, after first introducing the quotas in 2017.

The Russian Federal Agency for Fisheries reported the block of auctions, which started on 16 October, included rights to fish several crab species in multiple subzones throughout Russia. According to Fishnews, the first block of auctions went to Amurrybprom, which paid RUB 3.1 billion (USD 31 million, EUR 30 million) for the rights to fish opilio in the West Sakhalin subzone; hairy crab in the Kamchatka-Kuril subzone; spiny crab in the Primorye, South Kuril, and East Sakhalin zones; and blue crab in the East-Sakhalin subzone.

The second block of auctions, which included 25 percent quotas for catching snow crab in the West Bering Sea and Karaginsk subzone, opilio crab in the same subzones, and blue crab in the West Bering Sea zone, all saw a small increase from the starting price to RUB 10.4 billion (USD 106 million, EUR 100 million). Four companies won rights – Vladkrab, Ostrovnoy-Krab, Antey, and Sever.

The last block held on 16 October included quota for one-third of the opilio, blue crab, and spined crab quotas in the Western Kamchatka subzone and snow crab in the Kamchatka-Kuril subzone. The price increased to the minimum acceptable value, RUB 7.2 billion (USD 73 million, EUR 69 million). The winners were Vladkrab, Sever, and Ostrovnoy-krab.

The next set of auction blocks on 17 October set rights to harvest opilio in the North Sea of Okhotsk subzone; red king crab in the North Sea of Okhotsk, West Kamchatka, and Kamchatka-Kuril subzones; and blue crab in the North Sea of Okhotsk subzone were auctioned off. The initial price of the lots, fishnews reported, was over RUB 7.6 billion (USD 77.5 million, EUR 73.6 million).

Two of the lots, for catch quotas for oplio, red king, and blue crabs in the North Sea of Okhotsk and red king crab in the West Kamchatka and Kamchatka-Kuril subzones did not take place, as they only received one bid each.  

Photo courtesy of Russian Crab Company