75 
changed in 1929. The new requirement was to increase the catch 
more than 2 times over original plan and by 1933 to achieve a 
_ 2.6 times higher catch than the prerevolutionary level.*? Obviously, 
the plan was not fulfilled. However, the very intensive work of many 
enterprises and organizations resulted in some increase in the fish 
catch, in modest introduction of new technology and in the building 
of a considerable number of fishing vessels. 
In 1930 the first Soviet steel fishing trawlers were built in Leningrad. 
They had installation for the production of fish meal and canning, 
as well as storage capacities for salted and fresh (refrigerated by 
ice) fish. In 1934 the first Soviet floating canning factory was built 
for service in the Caspian Sea. The ship was capable of receiving 
fish from trawlers and processing it. In 1937 the first fish processing 
factory ship was build for the northern basin. 
During the second half of the 1930’s, the construction of fishing 
vessels was slowed down due to the lack of shipbuilding capacities, 
which were taken up by naval construction. The total catch for 1940 
was 1.4 million tons.** During the war many fishing ships were mobil- 
ized by the Soviet Navy. However, fishing continued even during 
the war, though at a lower intensity.®° 
After the end of World War II, the Soviet fishing industry was 
in a bad state. Many fishing vessels had been lost in the war, and 
those which remained were in poor condition with worn machinery 
and hulls in need of repair. The problem was aggravated by the 
fact that a considerable portion of the Soviet shipbuilding and ship 
repair capacities, was either destroyed or severely damaged. Moreover, 
the agricultural sector of the Soviet economy was also in extremely 
bad shape, and the country was in dire need of foodstuff. Con- 
sequently, the fishing industry was once again presented with an exten- 
sive plan for a fish catch. 
Starting in 1947, the Soviets succeeded in building a series of medi- 
um trawlers (SRT) for side trawling and for use of drift nets. In 
the late 1940’s the prewar catch level was achieved. The greatest 
portion of the catch was obtained from internal waters (rivers, lakes) 
and close, offshore waters of the adjoining seas. Most of the fishing 
vessels of that time were represented by small seiners, employing 
fishing methods and gear which were not very productive. 
The turning point occurred about 1950, after which there was an 
accelerated development of high sea fishing, resulting in steadily grow- 
ing catches. Restoration of war-damaged industry and achievement 
of prewar levels of productions, together with growing shipbuilding 
capacities in East Germany and Poland, assured rapid buildup of 
the fishing fleet.°° It was also recognized that in order to achieve 
a large increase in the Soviet catch, the high seas fishing operations 
would have to be expanded. To be efficient those operations required 
a special fishing fleet consisting not only of trawlers, but mother 
ships, factory ships, refrigerator-transports, and support ships such 
as tankers, tugs, etc.®” 
““Rybnoye Khozyastvo” (fishing industry) No. 2, 1971, pp. 6-8. 
*4““Vodnyy Transport”, July 10, 1971. 
“Shipbuilding” No. 12, 1969. 
*6 Emerging capability of the Satellite countries to build ships, particularly fishing vessels, were very 
important for the Soviet Union because its own shipbuilding industry, though mainly restored and 
even growing, was busy fulfilling orders for an extensive naval shipbuilding program initiated in 1947. 
*7Sudostroyeniye No. 12, 1969. 
