Worn-Out Refrigerated Fleet in Yakutia Threatens Arctic Fish Transport

In Yakutia, critical wear of the refrigerated fleet is threatening the transport of commercial fish from Arctic regions. The issue was discussed at a meeting at the Republic's Ministry of Agriculture on October 29.

Fleet Condition

Both specialized vessels — the Mikhail Malchikov and the Magdeburg — were built in 1990 and have never undergone a major overhaul since. Wear of the refrigeration equipment exceeds 90%. During the 2026 navigation season, only one of the two vessels was fully operational. The situation was further complicated by damage to the Magdeburg: in 2025, while unloading in storm conditions, the vessel sustained a hull breach.

Transport Cannot Keep Pace with the Catch

The 2026 summer fishing season showed a 69% increase in fish catch — up to 1,906 tonnes — yet the volume transported fell from 800 to 524 tonnes. The full catch from the Allakha district could not be shipped out. Participants at the meeting warned that without a major overhaul or renewal of the vessels, fish transport for the summer season could effectively cease as early as 2027.

Funding and Stated Needs

In 2025, 60 million rubles had been planned for replacing the refrigeration equipment, but the funds were excluded from the budget as part of optimization measures. No funding is allocated for 2026 or 2027.

Deputy Minister for Arctic Development and Affairs of the Northern Peoples, Mikhail Pogodaev, stated that when preparing the republic budget for its second reading, a need of 80 million rubles was declared for the repair of the two vessels and 38 million rubles for the transport of commercial products.

In addition, approximately 100 million rubles per year from the federal budget is allocated over the coming three-year period to support the traditional economic activities of the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North, including the creation of production bases for processing local products.

Source: Refrigeration Industry.