For the first time, the fish menu was introduced for the sake of the country's food security. On September 12, 1932, the People's Commissariat of National Security of the USSR issued a decree "On the introduction of fish day at public catering enterprises."
In conditions of a shortage of meat, the state needed to make up for the lack of protein in the diet of the population and support domestic fisheries. The specific day of the week was not fixed at that time — the canteens chose it themselves.
Thursday became the official fish day. This happened on October 26, 1976, when the joint resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR No. 868 "On measures to further develop production, expand the range, improve the quality of fish products and improve trade in fish products" was issued. Economists and sociologists have calculated that shifting the protein load to the end of the working week will be the most beneficial for trade logistics and unloading the meat balance.
For the institutes, whose traditions VNIRO continues today, this large-scale decision has become a serious professional challenge.
To provide the market with an affordable product in accordance with new government objectives, scientists and technologists promptly introduced oceanic species into mass circulation: pollock, hake, whiting and icefish. Experts have developed rules for processing raw materials, recipes for semi-finished products and freezing methods that have preserved the benefits of catches.
Today VNIRO continues to be responsible for scientific support of fishing and aquaculture, helping to provide the country with high-quality domestic fish. And Fish Thursday, which began as a strict administrative measure, eventually turned into a healthy habit and an important part of our healthy eating culture.
VNIRO Press Service
