They will be able to replace imported oysters with Russian ones by 2017, Izvestia reports. Previously, Rosrybolovstvo achieved the lifting of the food embargo on salmon fry and has now taken up the issue of oyster larvae. In Russia there are promising areas for the oyster business, experts say, but existing conditions need to be improved.

Russian oysters on the Russian market may soon completely replace imported ones. The Izvestia newspaper writes about this. Marine farmers are asking for permission to import oyster larvae. And, if the authorities approve such a measure, then by 2017 Russians will completely occupy the market. However, this forecast is overly optimistic. The director of the mussel and oyster farm in Crimea, Sergei Kulik, is sure of this.

“God grant, those who begin to follow in my footsteps will receive their first harvest at least by 2018-2019. I don’t know who is assuring that by 2017 there will be 100% replacement, this will not happen. We need very difficult climatic conditions , we don’t have bays, we have storms from December to March, it takes about 2-2.5 years to grow oysters. Now the embargo has not yet been lifted, and we depend on European nurseries. Therefore, if they don’t lift it, we will too. If we can’t get an oyster, then in two years nothing will happen,” Kulik is sure.

Representatives of the Russian oyster industry promise to provide 40% of the market next year. Producers in the Krasnodar Territory and Crimea plan to produce 1.5 million pieces of edible shellfish in 2016. However, in addition to the southern direction, the Far East is also promising for the Russian oyster business. This was noted by the Deputy Head of the Federal Fisheries Agency Vasily Sokolov.

“There are Sakhalin and Primorye, there is a wild fishery, now supplies are coming, but it was planned that there would be good oyster farming there, especially in Primorye. The second most promising area is the Black Sea, Krasnodar Territory and, naturally, Crimea. Now there is a circulation of oysters farms, in order to exclude the decline of oysters from the anti-sanctions list. We will now make a justification, we will submit it to the Ministry of Agriculture, and then to the government,” Sokolov told Kommersant FM.

Even if the authorities lift the embargo on juvenile oysters, Russian producers are unlikely to be able to occupy the entire market. So says Andrey Kuspits, co-owner of the Le Bon Gout store.

“Nothing can replace unique vintage varieties, this is as absurd as saying that you can notice some unique vintage wine varieties with Crimean and Anapa wine. These are very similar topics, in fact, we won’t succeed with Chateau Petrus, we will get something else the wine is also tasty, good, but that will be a different story. As for the experiments, let’s say, successful in growing oysters, for example, in Utrish or in the Crimea - they are very simple in taste. They can be made much better if you work with the so-called. clairs, where there is a large proportion of phytoplankton in the water and reduced salinity, where oysters must be kept for a certain amount of time, let’s say, an oyster sanatorium,” Kuspitz noted.

Rosrybolovstvo already has experience in successfully defending the interests of the industry. Previously, the department achieved the lifting of the food embargo on salmon fry.

Arthur Mulyukov

“Nothing can replace unique, branded varieties of oysters.”