Ministers of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources Magzum Mirzagaliyev, Agriculture — Saparkhan Omarov, as well as representatives of the Hamit fish farms — Bakhytzhan Sermanizov, Caspian Riviera — Raushan Khamitova, King Fish — Marlen Tursynali. Fishing and fish farming is one of the priority sectors in the production of food products. In Kazakhstan, 180 fish farms are engaged in the cultivation of commercial fish. As a result of the meeting held in February 2020 in Atyrau, chaired by the Head of Government, a number of legislative initiatives were developed aimed at minimizing administrative barriers and creating optimal conditions for the development of the fishing industry. Particular attention was paid to optimizing payments for the use of water resources, effective zoning and location of fish farms (including in the water protection zone), determining a rational fishing schedule and the operation of fishing vessels, tightening the rules for the sale of prohibited fishing gear. In September this year, the corresponding legislative amendments will be submitted to the Parliament.

Additional measures of state support are provided in terms of subsidizing feed (up to 25%) and reimbursement of investment costs (up to 30%). Concessional lending for investment projects aimed at the development of commercial fish farming is provided. In general, the industry has significant potential and is showing dynamic growth. Thanks to the measures taken, the volume of farmed marketable fish this year is planned to be increased to 9 thousand tons with an increase of 1.6 times over the past two years (in 2018 — 5.6 thousand tons, in 2019 — 7.4 thousand tons). The main volume of farmed fish is in the Turkistan region (about 68%), Almaty, North Kazakhstan and East Kazakhstan regions. The prime minister stressed that fish production can be significantly increased and by 2030 brought to 600 thousand tons. At the same time, the fishing industry should become one of the basic in the structure of the agro-industrial complex, the volume of exports increased 10 times to 300 thousand tons and at least 100 thousand additional jobs were created.

“In each region, fish production should be organized, water bodies should be assigned to business entities, the number of outlets for the sale of high-quality fresh fish should be increased. To ensure a healthy diet of citizens, it is necessary to increase the level of fish consumption to the WHO recommended 16 kg per capita (today in Kazakhstan — 3-4 kg per year),” Mamin said.

The Head of Government instructed, by Nov. 1, 2020, to develop and approve regional programs for the development of fisheries, indicating specific indicators and measures for priority subsidies, allocation of land plots, infrastructure and other measures of state support. The Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources, together with interested state bodies, was instructed to work with the business community within a month on proposals to expand subsidies for the fishing industry, together with the Ministry of Education and Science — to revise the educational and practical programs of universities with a shift in focus from fishing to fish farming.

The Ministry of Finance, together with the Ministry of Trade, was instructed to work out the issue of simplifying the procedures for registering supplies and passing all types of controls at the border when transporting fish seedlings of valuable fish species from abroad.