Fisheries Management in Post-Soviet Russia: Legislation, Principles, and Structure

Abstract

This article reviews the legislation, principles, and structure of Russian fisheries management since the break-up of the Soviet Union. The creation and implementation of Russian fisheries legislation has been slow and fumbling, and the structure of fisheries management in flux. One reason for this is the ideological gap between the federal bodies involved in the regulation of the fisheries. The State Committee for Fisheries defended the “traditional” fishery values, such as the continued supply of fish to Russian ports, while others were more concerned with revenues. A reorganization in 2004 split the State Committee for Fisheries into three agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture.