ST. PETERSBURG, June 10. /TASS/. The Norilsk Nickel Company (Nornickel) will build a plant to reproduce valuable fish species, Russia’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture, head of the fishing authority Rosrybolovstvo Ilya Shestakov said on Friday, during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, at the ceremony of signing a cooperation agreement with Nornickel.
Under the agreement, the parties will cooperate in keeping bio resources in the regions, where the company works. They will exchange results of scientific studies in aquaculture, will have joint seminars and other training events.
"The plans are to build a plant which will reproduce fish in the regions, where the company has main assets," the deputy minister said, without specifying an exact location. "Thus, it will be a good impetus for reproduction of valuable fish species <…> Cooperation with a big company like Nornickel is a step forward to keeping valuable fish."
Nornickel’s Vice President Dmitry Pristanskov stressed the company confirmed its continuing large-scale ecology program, including in keeping biology diversity. The company’s Polar Division and its affiliates have been restoring the Yenisei’s bio resources: they reproduce sturgeon, grayling and char.
"This work is necessary for the ecology balance in the Russian Arctic zone, it is also socially important," he said. "Fishing is a traditional occupation of the North’s low-numbered indigenous peoples, and I am sure our cooperation with Rosrybolovstvo [the fish authority] will confirm that this public-private partnerships will be effective."
"No doubt, by joint effort, we shall succeed in keeping biology resources under the ‘Ecology’ National Project," he added.
Nornickel follows its Biodiversity Policy. The company cooperates actively with nature reserves in the Krasnoyarsk, Murmansk and Baikal Regions. Nornickel upgrades their scientific and technical assets, supports public, volunteer and educational ecology-related programs.
About the forum
The 2019 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum was held on June 6-8. The event’s motto was "Creating a Sustainable Development Agenda." The forum was organized by the Roscongress Foundation. TASS was a media partner, the official photo hosting agency and the operator of SRIEF’s presentation zones with support from multinational firm EY, and the Foreign Investment Advisory Council in Russia.