OUR HISTORY - how our Company grew and developed:

Murman SeaFood Company Ltd. has been established in 1997. The company carries out industrial, transport, commercial and intermediary activity, wholesale and retail trade in the field of fishery. Company is the licensed ship-owner, annually receives industrial quotas for fishing of water bio-resources.

 

The strategy of Company's activity in the field of oceanic fishery is based on aspiration to take the most of resources of 200-mile zones of the foreign states and of an open area of world ocean, to strengthen a position of Russia at the international level.

 

Industrial activity of the Company began from one modern factory-trawler "Murman" leased at the foreign ship-owner on conditions of bareboat-charter-party and working in zones of Barents and Norwegian seas on traditional ground fish species' (Cod, Haddock, Redfish, Pollack, etc.) . In the following 1998 the fishing fleet of the Company has been replenished with two more freezing trawlers "Maroanjoca" and "Matrioska" and a unique seiner-trawler "Murman-2", that has allowed to start active harvesting of fish resources of Northwest Atlantic, earlier unused by Russia (Greenland halibut in NAFO area and in Western Greenland area) and of Northeast Atlantic (capelin, herring and blue whiting in zones of Iceland, Yan-Mayen and in an open part of Norwegian sea), as a result  the total catch has increased in 4,6 times.

 

In 1999-2001 the fishermen of the Company have continued the usage of common resources of capelin and blue whiting in Northeast Atlantic, of herring in Iceland zone and in open part of Norwegian sea, of halibut in NAFO Western Greenland areas, and also a harvesting of allocated ground fish quotas in Barents and Norwegian seas. The figures of catch and output annually grew in some times. The share of the Company in total catch of the vessels of Northern Basin and Murmansk region has methodically increased; the Company in 1999-2000 took the fifth place among the enterprises of Northern Basin and the fourth place in Murmansk region, and in 2001 - accordingly the third and second places.

 

In 1999-2000 by special Regulations of the Government of Russian Federation by way of experiment the seiner-trawler "Murman-2" had been allowed to make duty-free calling at Murmansk port for delivery of fresh cooled raw fish - capelin, herring and blue whiting - to the shore for sale to the coastal processing enterprises. It has made possible to load in full the capacities of many factories and workshops of Murmansk and Murmansk region, to manufacture high-quality fish products out of fresh raw fish, instead of frozen, has given considerable increase of tax deductions in budgets of all levels. Unfortunately, despite all efforts of Murmansk regional administration, they failed to convince the Government of Russian Federation to continue this experiment and to extend it on other bareboat-charter vessels of Northern Basin.

 

Since 2002, in conditions of decrease of allocation and introduction of auction sale of quotas of basic ground fishery species', the lack of resources has been replenished by fishing of  underused quotas of other enterprises. In 2002 total catch of fish has reached a record value for the Company and has been about 78 000 tons, from which 50 000 tons have been caught in zones of foreign states and in convention areas. In the following 2003 the quotas of all fishing objects allocated to the Company have been reduced in several times. All undertaken efforts for indemnification of these losses have allowed to catch about 42 000 tons, that is almost in 2 times less than last year. In 2002-2003 the Company actualized its project of teamwork with factory of Gigante Murmansk Ltd: the cooled food capelin caught by seiner-trawler "Murman-2" was delivered in Murmansk port by Norwegian transport vessels, for further processing and sale in a home market.

 

Since 2004 Murman SeaFood together with all other ship-owners began work in conditions of essentially new rules of allocation of fishery quotas — based on the shares fixed for 5 years. The given mechanism, along with significant reduction of quotas and with sharp increase of payments in the budget (dues for use of water bio-resources), has allowed, nevertheless, more seriously to carry out medium-term planning and livened up an investment activity of the Company. Murman SeaFood began to receive quotas of cod and haddock, sufficient for maintenance of normal work in Norwegian and Barents Seas of new factory-trawler "Melkart" purchased in its full property in 2004. In conditions of the general deficiency of fishery resources the total yearly catch of all Company's vessels was little higher than the last year.

 

In 2005 factory-trawler "Melkart" successfully carried out the fishery in Barents and Norwegian Seas, more than 700 tons of frozen fillets (cod and haddock) have been sold on export. All year the deliveries of various frozen fish products, fodder fish and also canned cod liver were conducted in Murmansk, the quality of our ready foodstuffs has been highly appreciated by consumers of region. Unfortunately, the Government of Russian Federation has not issued any rules of allocation of quotas for fishery objects in NAFO area, which earlier have been caught without quotas, therefore lack of quotas of halibut wasn't compensated by sufficient fishing of other objects. It was necessary to continue practice of fishing of the quotas unused by other Russian ship-owners.

 

In 2006-2007 fishing fleet of the Company has continued work in their traditional areas of fishery. Now Murman SeaFood Company operates four fishing vessels: three freezing factory-trawlers — "Melkart" (in Northeast Atlantic), "Maroanjoca" and "Matrioska" (in Northwest Atlantic) and new seiner-trawler "North Ocean", purchased in 2006 in the full property, manufacturing both  frozen fish products and fresh cooled fish, and used in fishery of pelagic objects in Northeast Atlantic.

 

Increasing problems in oceanic fishery in Northern Atlantic, connected with reduction of quotas for fishing of the basic species, Murman SeaFood Company decides in its own way. It searches and finds new ways of further development of its activity, both within the framework of traditional sea fishery and in diversification and successful developing of new kinds of production.

 

In particular, in 1999 the fellow subsidiary– Arctic Fish Products Ltd. – has been established for realization long-line fishing of ground fish species. During past time their freezing factory-trawler "Ivan Klyushin" successfully conducted long-line fishing of cod and other bottom objects in Northeast Atlantic, and also of toothfish in Southwest Atlantic area.

 

In 2001 the Company together with foreign partners began the work in aquaculture field. Joint-Stock Company Murman Holding has been established, and within the framework of this project in 2001 about 100 tons of rainbow trout has been brought up out of delivered smolt, modular crab- and fish-processing factory has been constructed and handed over in operation in the settlement Pechenga on which the next years processing of the crabs caught under research quotas with the help of involved vessels of other firms was conducted. At same factory the Company has organized processing of lumpfish roe and processing of fresh fish caught in a coastal zone by other small enterprises, and also reprocessing of semi-products of trawlers "Melkart" and "North Ocean". Ready fish products has been sold on the local market in Murmansk region. In 2005 the Company has organized manufacturing of frozen cod fillet at the coastal enterprise, the part of ready goods was successfully sold on export, and the part is put on a home market.

 

Now the staff of the Company is up to 150 persons, more than 70% of which are the seamen. The average monthly salary of employees for last years has increased in several times and in 2005 was 25 800 roubles (~ USD 900). Annual payment of taxes in budgets of all levels reaches 20 000 000 roubles (~ USD 695 000), transfer in the state off-budget funds – 7 500 000 roubles (~ USD 260 000), and dues for use of water bio-resources for 2004-2005 amounted to 12 500 000 roubles (~ USD 434 000) a year.

 

As a whole, for all past years, despite of some difficulties and problems, the Company had been achieved doubtless positive results. In a huge degree it is a merit of highly skilled and experienced managers, including General Director V.Khizhnyakov, his Deputies V.Molchanov, V.Belko, A.Vasilyev, V.Shaulov, Chief Economist V.Alekseev, Chief Accountant L.Mysina, Chief Engineer Yu.Chernyaev, former Chief Manager A.Mikhnovets, former Chief Mechanic A.Dema and also other managers, officers and specialists, and certainly Captains and Seamen of the vessels of the Company.

 

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