AGADIR, February 6. /TASS/. Future results of the Great African Expedition launched almost six months ago may be beneficial for the Russian fleet with the potential of expanding catches in the economic zone of African nations, head of the Russian Federal Agency for Fisheries, Rosrybolovstvo, Ilya Shestakov told TASS.

"The Great African Expedition of Rosrybolovstvo is certainly a very important event. We have not performed earlier such a comprehensive, large-scale survey of aquatic bioresources, even considering the Soviet period. The expedition program provides for studies of reserves in economic zones of twenty countries. This is an indicator of Russia's strong cooperation and maximal interest in collaboration with Africa in the fisheries sphere. It is early to talk about preliminary results of the expedition because scientists still have to process obtained data," Shestakov noted.

"The most important for us is that our African counterparts together with us take a comprehensive approach to studies of reserves. We will discuss everything in the conclusion of the expedition with our African partners and give recommendations on reserve management. Certainly, obtained information may be of interest for the Russian fleet to start commercial fishing in economic zones of the countries where we have not yet engaged in catches yet," he added.

The Great African Expedition formally started in the Russian seaport of Kaliningrad. Research activities are planned in coastal waters of West African countries and the western part of the Indian Ocean. Such studies have not been performed since the 1980s.