Quota allocation in Russia's northern fishery basin: principles and practice

Abstract

The article gives a presentation of the management system for Russia's northern fishery basin. One main question is whether the management system itself, the criteria for quota distribution, and the actual quota distribution have changed since the Soviet period. The federal authorities have maintained control over the management system while the regional authorities have seen their responsibility increased. The principles for quota allocation have to some extent changed, but practice has not. The traditional principle of catch capacity has been an important criterion for quota allocation also in post-Soviet Russia. It was supplemented by several general political principles for fisheries management in 1995. Other criteria aimed at solving pressing political problems were introduced during the latter half of the 1990s. None of these principles are reflected in the actual quota distribution during the period 1995–1999.