391] 
The policy of reconstruction (1945-53) was followed by a policy 
of expansion after Stalin’s death. During the two “Khrushchev” 5 
Year Plans (1956-65), fishery investments doubled from 144 million 
rubles a year to over 290 million. At the same time, the new political 
climate made possible several initiatives in West European countries. 
Negotiations for the purchase of new vessels were concluded with 
the United Kingdom (1954) West Germany (1955), and other coun- 
tries. Additions of new vessels made possible a preplanned expansion 
into new fishing grounds all over the world and necessitated a signifi- 
cant change in priority investments. 
A dramatic switch occurred in the mid-1950’s in the type of pro- 
grams financed by fishery investments. Until then, about half of the 
total annual investment was spent on building the fleet; the other 
half was used to build “‘shore plants” (ports, cold-storage, processing 
plants, et cetera). During the subsequent 10 years (1956-65) invest- 
ments allocated for the build-up of the fishing fleet amounted to 
78 percent of total fishery investments (fig. 1). These large sums 
were spent on the design and development of several new classes 
of fishing vessels, including the large and medium stern factory 
trawlers and, more recently, the catamaran fishing trawler. It was 
during these 10 years that the U.S.S.R. more than doubled the tonnage 
of her fishery fleet, entered most major distant-water fisheries, includ- 
ing the grounds off the United States, and became a major fishery 
power with world-wide interests. 
