08 December 2022

Construction of a new research vessel for the Baikal branch of VNIRO has begun

Strengthening the naval component of fisheries science is one of the main priorities of the Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography and the technical basis for the successful implementation of promising research projects.

On December 8, a solemn ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the Vikenty Zaitsev NIS, specially designed to carry out large-scale research work on the largest freshwater lake of Eurasia – Baikal, took place at the Belogorodskaya Shipyard.The event was attended by the management of VNIRO and its branches, representatives of regional authorities, specialists of specialized scientific institutions and environmental organizations.

The honorary guests of the ceremony were members of the family of Vikenty Petrovich Zaitsev, who headed the institute from 1956 to 1962 and made a great contribution to the development of branch science on Lake Baikal, which became the basis for assigning his name to a new flagship scientific vessel.

Vikenty Petrovich's granddaughter Marianna and great-grandson Alexander took part in screwing metal commemorative plaques to the mortgage sections of the AIS, after which the traditional ceremony of consecration of the vessel took place.

"Today, in a small White town located in the heart of Russia, our dream and a unique VNIRO project are beginning to come true, the implementation of which will bring new knowledge and prosperity to our country," said the director of VNIRO, wishing good luck to all those involved in the construction of NIS "Vikenty Zaitsev".

"The geography of this project is extremely wide. Having originated in Moscow, it was designed in Tyumen and will be embodied on Lake Baikal, a unique freshwater lake in Russia," Vladimir Ilyin, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Tver Region, stressed the importance of the project.

At the service of specialists of the Baikal branch of VNIRO NIS "Vikenty Zaitsev" will be involved in the implementation of the federal program "Preservation of Lake Baikal" of the national project "Ecology". The main task of science in this direction is to preserve the biodiversity of the unique aquatic ecosystem of Lake Baikal.

The research vessel "Vikenty Zaitsev" is equipped with an echo sounder for conducting sonar surveys and a modern trawl complex designed to assess the number of aquatic biological resources, as well as to study the structure of their populations. In addition, the functionality of the laboratory placed on board will provide scientists with the opportunity to promptly conduct a primary analysis of the material.

The result of regular monitoring work on the entire water area of the lake will be the receipt by scientists of valuable scientific data necessary for the development of strategies for the restoration of the Baikal omul fishing stock, as well as for the formation of a collection of genetic material of valuable and partial fish species.