VLADIVOSTOK, September 6. /TASS/. Fish and seafood catch in Russia by the end of 2024 could reach around 5 mln tons, Head of Russia’s Federal Agency for Fishery Ilya Shestakov told TASS at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF - 2024).

"We expect the catch of Russian fishermen to reach around 5 mln tons. This is the plateau that Russian fishermen have been trying to maintain in recent years," Shestakov said.

According to him, since the beginning of 2024, about 3.5 mln tons of fish and seafood have already been caught, which is 8% lower than the figure for the same period last year.

It was reported earlier that the maximum catch of aquatic bioresources in 30 years was reached in 2023 at 5.3 mln tons.

The Eastern Economic Forum was held on the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok on September 3-6, 2024. The main theme of the EEF in 2024 is "Far East 2030. Combining strengths to create new potential."

The EEF is one of the largest international conferences in Russia. It has been held in the Primorsky Region’s Russky Island in Vladivostok since 2015. The Forum is the initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who decreed that the event be held annually.

The forum's objectives and goals include promoting the accelerated growth of Russia’s Far East region; assessing its potential for exports; expanding international cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region; showcasing the investment appeal of the region, its steadily progressing territories, and the Vladivostok free port.

The Roscongress Foundation has served as the Forum’s organizer since 2016. TASS is the general information partner of the EEF.