458 
Soviets lagged far behind the technologically advanced countries of 
Western Europe. 
At the same time, the Ministry lavishly showed off some of its 
own achievements, including a spirited display of fishery support ves- 
sels in the nearby port area of Vasilevskii Island in the Gulf of Finland. 
The Soviet Minister of Fisheries also succeeded in having Mr. Kiril 
Mazurov, a member of the Politbureau of the Soviet Communist Party 
and one of the most important strategists of Soviet ocean policies, 
attend and give the opening speech. 
Once the first “‘Inrybprom”’ exhibition was successfully held in 1968, 
it was relatively easy to obtain the government’s support for a second 
exhibition 7 years later. 
The Second International Fisheries Exhibition, or Inrybprom—75 for 
short, was held in Leningrad from August 6 to 20, 1975. The exhibi- 
tion was aimed at furthering the U.S.S.R.’s international commercial 
relations, and specifically, at continuing the drive to increase exports 
of Soviet fishery products, fishing vessels, and other fishing equipment. 
The latest achievements in the Soviet fishing industry and increased 
Soviet emphasis on foreign relations in fisheries were again very much 
in evidence at the exhibition and provided a capsule illustration of 
the industry’s trends. 
Attendance figures show that about 700,000 visitors, of whom 
250,000 were specialists from various Soviet ministries and companies, 
visited or participated in the exhibition. The attendance at the 1975 
exhibition was lower than in 1968, when 1.5 million visitors were 
registered, but this may be due to the fact that Inrybprom—68 was 
part of the year-long celebration of the 5Oth anniversary of the Oc- 
tober Revolution. 
While attendance was down, the 1975 exhibition in physical terms 
was larger than in 1968. Representing the U.S.S.R. were 400 organiza- 
tions and 40 ministries and departments. A total of 284 foreign firms 
staged separate exhibits and displayed products manufactured by over 
600 firms. The Soviet Ministry of Foreign Trade operated a commer- 
cial center, and 50 ‘production associations’ (Soviet State-owned 
companies) sent representatives to examine foreign products and to 
conclude contracts. Preliminary Soviet reports indicate that 150 mil- 
lion rubles (U.S. $202.7 million) in contracts were signed, twice as 
much as in 1968, when final contracts totaled 75 million rubles (U.S. 
$83.3 million).** Inrybprom-—75 proved to be more business than show. 
The principal theme of Inrybprom—-75 was the preservation and 
restoration of marine resources. However, the emphasis of the 
U.S.S.R.’s exhibits, over 4,000 items and pieces of equipment, was 
on the exploitation of fishery resources and the automation of fishing 
operations. The U.S.S.R. strove to demonstrate in various exhibits 
that she holds a leading position in fisheries production, vessel con- 
struction, and fishery sciences. Fish farming and transplantation of 
fish stocks were also given special emphasis. Prominently displayed 
were Soviet-made underwater fishery research vehicles of the Tinro 
and Atlant classes. The largest foreign contingent of exhibitors was 
from the Federal Republic of Germany. The Polish exhibits were 
next in size, represented prominently by a number of fishing vessels 
‘8 The exchange rate in 1968 was $1.11 equals 1 ruble; the exchange rate in 1975 was $1.35 
equals | ruble and in 1976 1 ruble is worth $1.32. 
