State News Agency of Turkmenistan (TDH)

Fishery forum in Ashgabat

The First International Exhibition Fishing Industry of Turkmenistan-2008 focused on the priorities of one of the very promising sectors of Turkmen economy opened at the Exhibition Centre in the Turkmen capital. The organizers of the forum held on the initiative of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov are the State Committee fro Fish Industry and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan.

The large-scale exposition combines various aspects of fish industry development: from fishery and fish farming to fish processing and aquaculture development. The leitmotif of the forum is the strategic task to preserve and efficiently use the biological resources of the Caspian Sea and inland water bodies.

The deputies of the Mejlis, the specialists of the national ministries and departments, the large public organisations, scientists, the diplomats accredited to Turkmenistan, journalists took part in the opening ceremony. The welcoming statement of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to participants of the forum was presented at the ceremony. Congratulating the participants on opening the exhibition the Turkmen leader expressed belief that the international conference would be a splendid opportunity to discuss the relevant issues and priority trends in concerting efforts by the parties concerned, to establish mutually advantageous economic and scientific co-operation.

The panorama of the perspectives of Turkmenistan’s fish industry, its raw materials, technical and technological potential and the opportunities of establishing mutually advantageous co-operation are presented on the vast expanses of the Exhibition Centre. The substantial state support along with the favourable investment climate makes this sector of Turkmen economy very attractive for foreign partners, that is vividly illustrated by the participation of over 30 large companies from 16 countries in the Exhibition. These include Macalister Elliot & Partners and KINESIS Energy Limited (Great Britain), FISCHTECHNIK GERMANI (Germany), Deijing huayou őinye materials Co. Ltd (China), European Technology Development (Italy), Astrakhan shipyard, Lenmontazh and Gran (Russia). The Scandinavian companies with the profound experience in developing sea fishery showed keen interest in the exhibition in Turkmenistan.

The foreign companies offer state-of-art machines and advanced production technologies, tacking, working clothes, trucks, fish cisterns, refrigerators, specialized machines. Small displacement vessels, whale-boats, boats purchased for Turkmen fishermen under the contracts with the world’s leading companies are exhibited on the ground floor.

The special section of the exposition is dedicated to the large-scale project aimed at preserving the biological diversity of the Caspian Sea. The production complex specialized in artificial breeding sturgeons and processing fish is under construction on the Caspian Sea coast nearby the settlement of Kiyanly. The project is aimed at saturating the domestic food market with high-quality fish products.

The Balkanbalyk State Enterprise arranged the exposition introducing the sea fishing craft and processing infrastructure of the littoral region and presenting a broad range of the products manufactured by the enterprise.

The exposition of the State Research Institute of Lake and River Fishing (St. Petrsburg, Russia) is of particular interest to Turkmen specialists. The Institute designs the technologies of manufacturing sea products. In the near future the biotechnologies will enable to breed shrimps and mussels at the sea fishing farms in Turkmenistan.

Developing aquaculture in different regions of the country is a priority aspect in the activity of the State Committee for Fishing Industry of Turkmenistan. The expositions presented by the Altyn Balyk State Enterprise focus on the industrial application of the inland water bodies including Sarakamysh, Khauzkhan, Saryyaz, Tyuyamuyun. The special section of the exposition is dedicated to the fishpond farms that successfully apply the effective methods of breeding young carps, silver carps, grass carps.

The organisations and institutions whose activity is closely interrelated with fish industry – the Ecolgiya research and production center of the Ministry of Water Industry, the Ministry of Nature Protection, the Turkmen Union of Societies of Fishermen and Hunters of Turkmenistan arranged their pavilions at the international exhibition.

The pavilions of the aquarian entrepreneurs ‘inhabited’ with the living exhibits adorns the exposition. The culinary experts competed in cooking delicious shore dinners.

Thus, from the first minutes the exhibition turned into an open platform for establishing mutually advantageous business contacts. These issues ill be put on the agenda of the scientific conference Perspective of Fish Industry of Turkmenistan and International Co-Operation, which will be held on the third day of the forum in Ashgabat.