09 December 2025

Fish farms under the control of scientists

On December 5, Irina Mukhina, Head of the Aquaculture and Hydrobionts Laboratory at the Polar Branch of the Russian State Research Center "All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography" (VNIRO), visited a fish hatchery in Polyarnye Zori (Murmansk Oblast) as part of a commission from the Severomorsk Territorial Administration and the Murmansk Branch of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Glavrybvod."
 
The commission members collected data from BLK-Fish LLC to update the information provided by the owner regarding the Lena (Siberian) sturgeon Acipenser baeri used in commercial aquaculture.
 
According to the owner, the broodstock consists of almost 500 sturgeons, 300 of which are spawners raised from juveniles obtained in an artificially created habitat (at the fish hatchery) and approximately 200 sturgeons. - immature individuals. More than 100 breeders are tagged with microchips.
 
The sturgeon broodstock is housed in rectangular cages along the boundaries of the Molochnaya-1 Bay (Imandra Reservoir). The fish are fed with feed from Russian and Italian producers.
 
The commission determined that the stated number of these fish is available. It was not possible to verify the accuracy of the information regarding the number of microchipped Siberian sturgeon breeders. Genetic passports are not maintained at the fish farm.
 
For reference:
 
In accordance with the approved procedure (Order of the Federal Agency for Fisheries dated February 18, 2022, No. 89) and Part 3 of Article 14 of Federal Law No. 148-FZ "On Aquaculture (Fish Farming) and Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation" dated July 2, 2013), broodstock of sturgeon, whitefish, and other fish species used for the conservation of aquatic bioresources, as well as for commercial aquaculture (commercial fish farming), are subject to registration in the Register of Broodstock.
 
 
VNIRO Press Service