PETROZAVODSK, May 13. /TASS/. The 100th line on the list of the Russian Arctic zone’s residents is taken by the Northern Mussel Company in Karelia, which will make the country’s biggest mussel farm on the White Sea. The company plans to produce annually about 225 tonnes of sea products, the Corporation for Development of the Far East and Arctic said on Wednesday.
Earlier, Minister for Development of the Far East and Arctic Alexei Chekunov announced the Russian Arctic zone’s 100th resident was a company, which would organize an aquatic and tourism cluster in Karelia’s Loukhsky District.
"An investment project to open Russia’s biggest certified farm to grow mussels in own water areas in the White Sea and to organize a unique eco-resort is implemented by the Northern Mussel Company from Karelia," the corporation said in a release. "The investor has signed an agreement with the Corporation for Development of the Far East and Arctic to become the 100th resident of the Russian Arctic zone."
The mussels, fish and algae from the farm, which will occupy about 267 hectares of water areas in the White Sea, will be supplied directly to restaurants in St. Petersburg, Moscow and other Russian cities. The company will organize lines to pack, deep-freeze and store the products.
"The White Sea is more harsh, but it was in that sea that we have seen successful experience in making aquatic mussel farms," the corporation quoted Northern Mussel’s Director General Andrei Kyachin as saying. "The tax incentives will be helpful in organizing a mussel farm in Russia’s North."
"We hope, every year we shall produce 225 tonnes," he added.
Time-out on islands
The second direction, on which the company will focus, is to develop eco-tourism. On the Tonisoar and Sonostrov islands it will build hotels and cottages to accommodate up to 500 people a season, plus a bath complex. The tourism facility will offer boats, snow bikes, and all equipment for year-round leisure on water. The complex is due by 2024. The investments will make about 39.5 billion rubles ($530 million). The project will create 15 jobs.
"As of now, 16 businesses are Arctic residents in the region," Karelia’s Governor Artur Parfenchikov said. "The total amount of investments is 95.3 billion rubles ($1.3 billion)."
"It is important to stress that the residents are not only big companies, but also small and medium businesses, including the Northern Mussel Company," he continued. "Those are big investments, new jobs, and development of infrastructures in the Loukhsky District.".