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Opening the meeting, the president said that changes in the fishing sector were taking too long, and its competitiveness was way below its potential. He outlined problems that hinder the sector’s development and called for an immediate improvement.

One of the most serious problems remains fishing that is conducted within Russia's economic zone but outside of the 12-mile customs zone, a limit beyond which there are no appropriate supervision mechanisms of the amounts fished and the export of fishery products.

In reference to the fight against poaching, the President pointed out that besides coercion it is necessary to create economic conditions that encourage legal fishing and processing natural resources in Russia.

One major obstacle to the development of the fishing industry is the poor condition of the fleet and corresponding ports.

In addition, the head of state called for paying more attention to issues concerning the development of acquaculture and the artificial cultivation of fish and aquatic plants.

The President ordered Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov to meet with the representatives of the responsible departments by the end of 2007 to determine how the President's orders designed to normalise the situation in the sector are being implemented.