Press centre

The number of chum salmon in Primorsky Krai has increased by 1.3 million. The Employees of the Nakhodka Mineral Fertilizer Plant (NFP) together with the Primorsky Branch of the Fishery Agency and the Primorsky Branch of FSI ‘Glavrybvod’ have released chum fry into the Barabashevka River in the Khasansky District of Primorye.

Viktor Grebenyukov, Executive Director of NFP, says that the release of fry is an important environment-oriented part of the social policy of NFP:

“Environment is one of the key focuses of our work. In 2022 we released fry into the Serebryanka River in Primorye, while in 2023 we built a plant nursery for 200,000 seedlings. The first trees are already planted at the Sergeev Forest Range of the Partizansky District. It allowed Primorye to restore forests using only local resources. It is important for us that the environmental projects implemented by NFP have a positive impact on the whole region of Primorye”.

Chum salmon spawn once in their lifetime in freshwater, after which they die. Illegal fishery reduces the number of chum salmon every year. The natural fish hatchery for chum salmon in the Barabashevka River allows us to manage the fish population. Fry release helps us to mitigate any potential impact on the environment during the construction of the plant and to preserve biodiversity of the valuable types of fish in the Far Eastern waters.

Once the chum fry is released it migrates directly into the sea. In four years, the adult fish will return back to the Barabashevka River for spawning.

“The released fry are fast to adapt to a natural body of water and stay in the river between seven and ten days. They learn how to hide from predators and find food on their own. Then they move to the sea where they start on their great migration journey through the Sea of Okhotsk, the Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea. Thus, by releasing fish here we have covered a large water area. It is a significant contribution to biological diversity of the region. The environmental policy of NFP shall serve as a good example not just for businesses, but for local people as well”, says Yana Ryzhkova, Deputy Minister for Forestry, Environmental and Animal Protection and Resources Preservation in Primorsky Krai.

The future Mineral Fertilizer Plant is one of the most high-tech and eco-friendly production facilities in Primorsky Krai. The enterprise located in TAD ‘Nakhodka’ is among top-3 investment projects of the Far East and among top-10 projects in Russia. The total amount of taxes to be initially paid to the regional budget will amount to 49 billion rubles with TAD privileges, and then the budget will receive 26 billion rubles yearly. At the start-up stage, the plant will create 1500 jobs, 80% of which will be taken by specialist from Nakhodka and Primorsky Krai and the rest 20% will be offered to the specialists from other regions.