R 060015Z AUG 08
FM AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0989
INFO USDOC WASHDC 0042
MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
ASIAN PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION
AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK

UNCLAS VLADIVOSTOK 000082 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV ECON SENV
SUBJECT: RUSSIAN FAR EAST FISHING: THE NORTH KOREAN CONNECTION 
 
¶1. (U) Summary.  Fishing is often said to be the most 
criminalized industry in the Russian Far East.  After several 
months of planning, one small fishing company in Zarubino agreed 
to allow the CG and one FSN to accompany the trawler MPC 254 on 
a fishing trip in Peter the Great Bay.  While the August 5 
fishing expedition may not have been entirely typical, it did 
provide a glimpse into the opaque world of Far Eastern fishing 
and the fish processing that is accomplished with the help of 
contract North Korean laborers.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) Even Primorskiy Krai Governor Darkin admits that the 
Russian Fishing Industry is hampered by poaching and illegal 
exports.  He has warned that Kamchatkan crab will disapear and 
he's outlined the economic harm done to Russia when Russian 
boats simply offload seafood in Korea, Japan or China without 
processing in Russia.  The industry does have some economic 
advantages.  Low wages for employees, a low-tech fishing fleet 
that is not capital intensive, and still relatively healthy 
stocks of some types of fish.  Importing North Korean laborers 
also keeps the costs of Russian seafood low.  But to compete in 
the world market, Russia will have to show that the industry is 
sustainable.  This short fishing excursion revealed an industry 
that is far from the world standard. 
 
ABOARD THE TRAWLER MPC 254 
-------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) The expedition got underway early in the morning with the 
Captain pointing out the fishing grounds on his chart and the 
most likely place to find the bottom fish they were after.  In 
the corner of this local maritime map is the Russian-North 
Korean border at the river Tyumen.  The trip took place north of 
the border.  Always in sight of land, the 22 meter boat cruised 
through the southern most stretch of Russian territory. 
Zarubino is 6,400 kilometers from Moscow, but just 600 
kilometers from Pyongyang.  The rusty ship was built in 1984 and 
probably has not been painted since, but it seemed seaworthy. 
The Captain was asked how many crew members he needed.  He 
laughed and said "six; today we have five."  Indeed, the lack of 
manpower hurt the boat later on. 
 
¶4. (U) Most of the crew were quite experienced.  There was a dog 
on board too that knew the ship inside and out.  One sailor had 
35 years on the water, with the tattoos on his fingers and 
elsewhere to prove it.  Crew members confirmed that their pay 
depended on the day's catch, but no one would volunteer what 
percentage they made on the profits.  Everyone agreed that the 
salaries were low and part of the reason for the Russian fishing 
fleet being chronically short staffed.  The North Korean 
laborers, while inexpensive, always stay on shore. 
 
PICKLES AND WAVES DON'T MIX 
--------------------------- 
 
¶5. (U) The crew did their best to keep the Consulate staff 
comfortable and safe.  A strong swell from the south from a 
previous storm made the going less than smooth.  When one 
staffer got seasick, he was offered the Russian folk remedy of a 
pickle, the sight of which had an immediate effect on the sea 
sick passenger. 
 
¶6. (U) By mid-morning, in 40 meters of water, the sonar showed 
some promising blips.  The Captain ordered the nets over the 
stern.  For the next 90 minutes the lines and nets went out 
while the boat circled.  The nets finally came up with crabs and 
starfish first that were entangled in the netting.  Then the 
bulk of the catch came up with a dripping tentacled arm of an 
octopus wriggling out of the netting.  The crew pulled the net 
in and began sorting the crab, flounder, cod, pollock, octopus, 
and kelp.  One starfish the size of a garbage can went 
overboard.  The crab, while economically profitable, is banned. 
The crew is allowed, nevertheless, to keep two percent of any 
banned fish, so several crabs were kept for lunch.  In general, 
there was very little bycatch, one of the environmental 
challenges facing bigger fishing boats.  Almost everything 
caught was used.  That said, all trash, including plastic 
bottles, cans of cooking oil and cigarette packs, went over the 
side without a moment's hesitation.  The Captain reported once 
dredging up the hull of a Toyota in his nets.  Trash is often 
confused on the sonar for fish. 
 
THE CATCH 
--------- 
 
¶7. (U) The catch was disappointingly small, which the Captain 
blamed on not having enough crew to operate the nets properly. 
In general, the Captain was satisfied with the direction of the 
Russian fishing industry.  He said poaching is becoming less of 
a problem.  We saw on shore however a cache of scallop shells. 
The locals are fond of saying the shells are the size of dinner 
plates, and they were indeed quite large.  Apparently scuba 
divers collect the shells, take out the meat, and dump the 
shells on shore.  The meat can then be hidden onboard ship and 
packaged for the black market.  The Russian Border Guards are 
reportedly more active than in past years.  An inspection, while 
not welcome, is thorough, lasting over two hours.  The Captain 
was fined one thousand rubles last week for not declaring a new 
crewmember on his log book.  But poachers do hurt business and 
everyone wants their cut.  On shore, two local militia were 
waiting for the boat and asked for "sponsorship" by way of a few 
free fish.  They were accommodated. 
 
THE NORTH KOREAN CONNECTION 
--------------------------- 
 
¶8. (U) Once ashore the fish are sorted again.  Some fish are 
ground and frozen, destined to be used for cattle and pig feed. 
In the plant in Zarubino 16 North Korean women and ten North 
Korean men work the conveyor belts and sort and prepare fish. 
The women got higher marks than the men for productivity. 
According to the plant manager, though, overall the North 
Koreans are not as efficient as Russian workers - but they are a 
lot cheaper.  The North Koreans have a November - June contract 
that can be extended.  They have been in Zarubino for at least 
the last three years.  They live in dormitories within walking 
distance to the plant.  The dorms seem no better or worse than 
the local housing overall.  The North Koreans do not speak 
Russian but have an interpreter who is also the foreman of the 
group.  He was better dressed and is apparently better paid. 
The plant manager contradicted the ship Captain, who had 
insisted that all fish caught are consumed domestically, saying 
some of the seafood is exported to South Korea. 
 
¶9. (U) Comment:  The Russian fishing industry has a long way to 
go to modernize.  Fishing company directors told us that they 
are not even considering new equipment, although they do rely on 
American GPS devices.  New ships, however, for now, are out of 
the question.  The industry may not be transparent and it may be 
criminalized, but if anyone is getting rich in the industry, it 
is certainly not the fisherman on board the MPC 254.  At the end 
of the trip we ate the octopus, crab and sea urchins with wasabi 
and soy sauce.  While all of the seafood would fetch higher 
prices in nearby Asian markets, we were repeatedly assured that 
they only sell to Russian customers.  Of course, fishermen are 
known to exaggerate. 
 
 
ARMBRUSTER